Blood Chakra
by Kamikon Wolf
Summary: The full moon: revered by some and hated by others. To some it is a wonder, and to others it is nothing but a curse. Naruto Uzumaki befell the fate of hating and being hated, for when the full moon rises, Naruto is no more. -Werefox/Werewolf Themes-
1. Prologue

_Rated _**M**_ for _**Mature Audiences**_ for violent content such as gore, vulgar language, and death. Mild romantic themes are also present._

Blood Chakra, and all related titles, content, and terms are copyright © Kamikon Wolf (2007-2008). This fanfiction is in no way affiliated to, endorsed by, or sponsored by Shonen Jump Magazine®, Viz Media, Masashi Kishimoto, or any related third parties. Some rights reserved.

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**BLOOD CHAKRA**

Written by Kamikon Wolf

"_Whether it is a gift or a curse depends on how the bearer interprets it." _

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**Prologue**

_October 7th_

It had been so long since then, but he remembered every detail of it so clearly, vibrant, and painful.

But he would never tell anyone of the curse that was cast upon him, being shunned enough from society. No one could see it through his carefree smile; he lived a cold and lonely life. He was without family, love, or trust, and he loathed it.

As if the emotional pain was not enough, something else had to go wrong with his life.

Naruto Uzumaki laid flat on his bed, staring blankly into his ceiling. He ran his fingers through his blonde, spiky hair as his blue eyes scanned the room, and like always, it was the same. Unwashed clothes and empty ramen cups were scattered everywhere, the full body mirror in his closet had a large crack in the upper right hand corner, and the wallpaper was torn in various places. He sighed with a frown. This was proof that he was just a poor, underprivileged child.

Quietly he watched the sun set over Konoha. The skies darkened and stars appeared one by one. He welcomed them as long lost friends. They were his wishes for freedom, hope for the future, and silent listeners of his prayers. Naruto smiled, sitting upright and resting his arm on his window ledge. He gazed into the horizon, longing to leave the confinement of his room.

Naruto caught sight of a rising white radiance coming from the north wall of the village. He recognized it easily: the moon, a full one to be exact. It hadn't come into perfect view, but anyone could easily tell it was full. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and bathed in the moonlight. Never had he felt so at peace with himself and the world around him. His smile grew wider, embracing the tranquility.

Then the moon was entirely visible. Its light palely lit the village alongside the stars, but oddly it seemed brighter then usual.

His eyes snapped open as they stared directly into the celestial orb. Naruto felt a rush of energy and excitement swell inside him, turning his smile into a large grin. His heart pounded against his chest, pumping adrenaline throughout his body excessively. An outlandish yearning to run through the forests to his heart's content was planted in his head amongst a desire to indulge himself in the night and all its subtle beauties. Something inside told him that it his boredom and heartaches would be forever eased by a stroll through the wilderness.

Suddenly, his muscles shuddered; the wonderful feelings turned into aches, but the light pain faded promptly. This caused him to stop fantasizing about the adventure he could be having and made him think why he ever started to imagine such an absurdity. In reality the outside was a frightening thing to him so late at night. The village was typically a safe place to be, but it was impossible to tell who or what might be lurking behind every corner.

Leaning back on his bed, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and shuddered. His heart was still going strong, and it was very troubling to him. An intense amount of heat washed over him quickly after, causing beads of sweat to drip down his face. His breathing became hitched as his eyes darted around the room in a panic. He jumped off his bed, removed his shirt and sat on the cool wooden floor. Despite his efforts, his body temperature continued to increase until it became a full fledged flame.

The intense fever led to a series of other symptoms. Naruto grew lightheaded and his stomach churned. He clutched his abdomen with a groan and shifted position onto his knees, bending over as if he were to vomit. His eyes were forced shut, this torment far too strong to bear. The boy frantically gasped for air, and then he let out an agonized cry.

The heat became coupled with sharp, stabbing pains. A series of ominous snaps like the breaking of branches sounded off. The joints in his hands bent and jerked in various directions in sync with the noises. His hands became stuck with his fingers partially curled down, and the usage of those joints had been hindered. As he attempted to move them, the stab focused itself upon his fingertips.

His nails were morphing as drastically as his hands just had. The plain, pinkish color of the human nail was rapidly darkening into black. He set his trembling hands before his tear flushed eyes. The color change was followed by rapid growth of the nails. They thickened and curled, ripping through his feeble skin. Naruto grimaced, eyes wide with fear as his nails tipped off with evil, menacing points, his blood trickling down from where they emerged.

They had grown into long black claws. He had developed claws before, but these were much closer to an animal's.

While he was entranced by the claws, the same sharp pain attacked his feet. Terrified, he looked over his shoulder to see them changing as well. Claws tore through where the toenails used to be, and the structure of his feet was contorting along with them. His skin burned as his feet seemed to grow longer, gradually lifting his heels from the ground.

An itch developed on the surface of his skin, and from the backs of his hands, small red-orange hairs began to sprout at an alarming rate. Like a virus, these hairs lengthened and invaded his body, infecting it with a coat of fine hair. His blonde hair took to the attribute of his new body hair, shifting to a darker red. It lost its coarse, wiry attribute and became silky, causing his spikes to relax.

Naruto could hear and feel his bones crunch together. It felt as if his innards were being violently torn apart. He hunched over involuntarily; as he did so his spine suddenly cracked into a curve between his shoulders. His blood ran cold through his deepening chest and his heartbeat slowed for a moment. His muscles convulsed, rippling beneath his tightening skin. The pajamas he had left soon became an incorrect fit for him, and tore under the stress. All of these sensations were foreign to him. Therefore, he could not tell it was the feeling of fast and excessive growth. From his muscle mass to his bones, Naruto's body was increasing in not only size but power as well.

At last, he let out a terrifying scream from the torture, but it had no quality of a young boy. It was deeper and beastly. It haunted his ears, its rhythmic sound never ending in his mind. Naruto's entire essence was being twisted by some malevolent, incomprehensible force. He wasn't allowed even a second of relief as his metamorphosis reached its climax.

A tight, constricted feeling drew his attention to the base of his spine. Pain struck him hard as his tailbone curved up and split within him. It extended above his rear as a nub that continued to grow outwards. Soon it had become a long, flexible tail covered with fur. First it was a single appendage, but soon it became a multitude of them. One by one they developed, each perfectly identical to the first. He whined and growled helplessly to endure his anguish. When the final tail arose, all nine of the tails lashed about viciously.

The transformation had yet to be truly complete, though. One final detail was missing, and it was the most painful change of them all.

A loud crack was heard as his teeth jutted out into deadly, piercing fangs. The development of these larger and sharper teeth tore his darkening gums to shreds, dripping blood into his mouth. He could not help but notice that it tasted different then it should. Blood should taste like metal, yet the blood he was sampling was heavily salty with a hint of bitterness. Before long the boy's jaws emitted a sickening _snap_ as they pushed out and stretched. Naruto's cries were weak and inaudible as he went through this final stage.

It felt like his ears were being pulled as they grew larger and repositioned closer to the top of his head. They had nearly doubled in size and developed a demonic point at the end of them. The tip of his nose turned dark and upturned itself while his malformed face began to take shape of a sleek, triangular muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth. Once the muzzle was complete he roared in a voice not his own. In a massive explosion of emotion and pain he cried to the heavens above with such intensity that the room itself shook.

And at that moment, everything stopped.

Everything stood silent and still for what seemed like an eternity…

As his suffrage was disappearing, short whines followed his every breath. Naruto was completely traumatized; he had not the slightest idea of what just occurred. The only deduction he could make in his deluded state of mind was that he had just experienced an unimaginable amount of pain. His gaze moved around his room carefully, searching for a hint, a sign, something to console him that he had been imagining those bizarre things.

But then his eyes met with his mirror. Naruto gasped in fright.

Staring back at him was not the Naruto he knew. He had feral red eyes with a slit for a pupil and orange fur coating his skin. He had gained claws and fangs, weapons of a beast. Larger, stronger muscles replaced his frail human tendon. Of all the new features, it was the tails that really caught his eye. They swayed and twisted violently, making it difficult to keep his focus elsewhere. Naruto knew immediately, simply by looking at these, who was responsible for this startling change. He backed away slowly from the demonic image, tears forming in his eyes.

"_The Fox…"_ he thought with terror, but then with anger.

Naruto clutched his head and pressed it to the ground, repeating the word "no" under his breath consistently. He wished to deny it, but he had become the very monster the village accused him of being since birth: the Nine-Tailed Fox.

A strange calm ran across his mind, and the wonderful feelings he experienced before the change came back. His body loosened up as a cool, floating on air feeling rushed over him. His thoughts were not as pleasant and harmless as before, though. Cold-blooded thoughts clouded his own, destroying what little remained of his humanity.

"_Their deaths will be quick...but most certainly not painless..."_

Even though it was tempting to give into it, he fought. A deep growl emitted from his mouth. Desperately he attempted to shake it all off just to keep himself sane.

"_You are no longer weak, child."_

"_You are strong."_

"_You_ are_ the Nine-Tailed Fox..." _

"_Embrace it."_

Naruto just wasn't strong enough to repel this voice.

Compelled by an unknown instinct, he raised his head and let out a shrill, monstrous yowl. He grinned a sly, fox grin, digging the claws into the wood as if it were paper. He laughed maniacally, for he felt so powerful and untamed, truly liberated from the world for the first time in his life.

He then leaped, crashing through his bedroom window, his feral red eyes piercing the night with his hunger. Hunger for freedom. Hunger for blood. Hunger…for revenge.

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End of Chapter

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	2. Fourteen Years of Pain

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**Chapter 1**

_October 10__th__ (One Year Later)_

Fourteen Years of Pain

The past few months had been like living hell to Naruto, but somehow, he managed to live on.

Every morning he would awaken by the bright radiance of the sun, and today was no different. The light pierced through his blinds and struck his face annoyingly. He repositioned his body away from his window in hopes of sleeping just a little bit longer. Naruto shut his eyes tight, struggling to fall back return to his peaceful slumber.

Stupid light. Now he was awake.

Naruto groaned as he threw his bed covers off himself. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, stinging with drowsiness. To remedy this he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Now partially able to function, he turned around and opened the blinds to look down on the busy streets of Konoha. He must have woken up late. The sun was high in the sky and people were walking about, shopping, talking, and taking care of their daily business. Naruto looked out into the vast village with envious eyes and sighed.

Soon after he leapt off his bed and stretched his arms up, hearing his neck and back pop in several places. As he stumbled to his bathroom, he yawned lazily. Then he fumbled for the light switch, and once the light turned on he started the faucet. He held his hands in a cup under the running water, splashing the gathering water on his face to pull himself together. Morning was typically a dreadful thing to face, especially when the amount of restful sleep he achieved was minimal.

He flicked his hands to remove excess water from them. As he did so, his attention had been draw to the reflection in his mirror. For as often as he preformed this ritual, he rarely actually looked at his image in the morning, and if he did look it was brief and unmeaning. Today was somehow different; today _he_ seemed different.

No longer was he a boy, but not quite a man, Naruto had entered the life stage of adolescence nary a few months ago. It was a big step that meant many things, among them one of the most important things to him: growth. He had seen plenty of it throughout the past several months, jumping from pitifully short to respectably tall. Not only was he startled by it, but his friends and peers were as well.

Curiously he eyed himself, placing his hand up to his chin. Absentmindedly he rubbed it, the involuntary action turning into a test of sorts. He was actually feeling for facial hair, and the results were not unlike previous tests before this one. Naruto's skin was still smooth and baby-like, causing him to frown. Regardless of his other improvements, from his height to his slightly more handsome features, he still lacked the real social ticket into manhood, the coveted moustache and beard.

He sighed, slightly disappointed. Done admiring his reflection, he continued to brushing his teeth. Once he was finished, he returned to his bedroom to dress for the day. Stripping down to his boxers he put on his everyday outfit: an orange and blue coat over a black shirt and orange cargo pants. As he exited his bedroom he snagged his headband that lay on his dresser and tied it to his forehead. No matter what, he never went anywhere without it.

Taking his keys and his wallet, he briskly marched out the front door and locked it behind him. Agilely, he jumped over the balcony railing and down to the pavement, making a perfect landing. Naruto breathed in deep and exhaled with a smile. The fresh air felt and tasted great. His eyes wondrously stared at the clear blue sky. He was in his own little world as he strolled off to wherever his whimsy would take him.

Naruto weaved through the alleys to eventually reach the main street, but just before he stepped foot on the busy walk-way…

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" screamed a nasally voice from behind him, startling him into screaming and falling forward. A childish cackle rang through his ears, and he grimaced, rather annoyed.

"Jeez, Boss! Jumpy today?"

"Konohamaru…" Naruto muttered angrily to the pavement.

"C'mon, that's not like you, Boss! Get up!"

Naruto pushed himself up off the ground, rubbing his nose with his fingers. It was not bleeding, but it did hurt.

"Damn you, Konohamaru," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Hah, I _got_ you, Boss!" he boasted, falling to the ground laughing. Naruto gave him a dull look.

"Okay, okay. It wasn't that funny."

"S-Sorry, didn't mean to _scare_ you." The young boy sat up, grinning fiercely. "Just wanted to say Happy Birthday!"

"Huh?" Naruto got back on his feet, brushing dirt off his pants. "What do ya' mean?"

"You gotta be kiddin me, Boss! Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!"

"Wha--?" He rubbed his head in confusion. "What day is it?"

"October tenth of course! That is your birthday right?"

"Y-yeah…it is…" How stupid could he get? To forget his own birthday was like forgetting his name, pitiful.

Konohamaru snickered at Naruto's foolishness. "Well now that ya' know, Boss, I made somethin' for ya'!"

"And what would that be?" he asked rather uninterested. Konohamaru reached into his back pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He held it out to Naruto, who raised an eyebrow peculiarly.

"What is it?"

"It's a birthday card! I made it just for you and had my whole class sign it and everything!" Naruto accepted the paper and read it over respectfully.

It was a fairly sloppy and crudely written card obviously done the day before. On the inside were signatures, many of which he did not recognize, along with doodles of the leaf symbol and bowls of ramen. There was also a humorous little sketch of him eating the ramen (Naruto had to stifle a laugh at that). In the center in bold letters were the following words: "Happy Birthday Naruto! (The number one ninja in Konoha)".

Naruto's blank expression turned into a small smile. He had never been given anything for his birthday, so this truly meant something special to him. He stood there speechless, reading the card over and over again to renew the sense of pleasure it gave him.

"Uh, Boss?" Naruto snapped out of his trance and turned his attention to the small boy. His lips were an expressionless line on his face once more. Konohamaru looked at him with an eyebrow arched. "What's wrong, Boss? Don't ya' like it?"

Naruto felt something warm run down his cheek. A single tear had fallen from his eye without precursor. He wiped it away quickly, hoping Konohamaru had not seen.

"Boss, are you crying?" he asked puzzled.

"What? No!" Naruto replied defensively.

"Jee, I didn't know the card was that bad…"

"It's not! Really!" Now he had hurt Konohamaru's feelings, which in turn made him feel awful. "I like it, but…"

"But?"

Naruto paused for a moment. "I don't think anyone's ever given me a birthday card before."

"Really?" Konohamaru asked astonished. "Not even Iruka-sensei?" Naruto shook his head, stashing the card away safely. "I never knew that…" he muttered, averting his gaze elsewhere and rubbing his foot on the ground. "Well, I hope you get other cards, Boss, 'cause some of them can be really neat," he said with a smile, his missing tooth an oddity among his other teeth.

"Uh, sure…thanks…I think," he stammered, scratching his head.

"Now, I've gotta go. I'm meeting Moegi and Udon today for training!" Konohamaru waved goodbye, darting off in the other direction. Naruto saw a rock in his way and grinned devilishly. Payback time.

"Hey, Konohamaru!"

"Huh?" He craned his neck over his shoulder, not watching where he was going. His foot got caught onto the rock, causing him to fall over in the same fashion Naruto had. Naruto laughed hysterically, mocking his young adversary. Konohamaru groaned in both pain and annoyance.

"That's what you get for messin' with Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Yeah, yeah, very funny, Boss…" Konohamaru got up, giving Naruto a playful glare and then pointing at him boldly. "That is why you are worthy to be my rival!"

Naruto smirked at him, digging his hands into his pockets. The small boy stuck his tongue out childishly, and without another word, he walked off, Naruto doing the same.

He took a turn here and there, paying little attention to where he was going as he thought about the significance of this day, his birthday. The major event of any birthday was aging from thirteen to fourteen, a transition that was rather uneventful to him. Another meaningful aspect of the day was that it was somewhat of a memorial day dedicated to the ninja who lost their lives on this day, one of the gravest days in Leaf Village history. Today was the fourteenth anniversary of the appearance of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the very same demon Naruto harbored within him.

And usually the connection between him and the demon fox was bad news for Naruto.

In the past it was, anyways, but gradually over time, he seemed to have to watch his back less and less when he went out in public. It was almost to the point where he did not ever hear a single whisper about how he was the bane, a plague, or the devil. Now that he was a trained ninja, it would be a fool's bargain to try to hurt him regardless. The villager's sick and cruel hobby of tormenting him had essentially been abandoned since he graduated from the Ninja Academy. If not for other impending issues, Naruto himself could have completely forgotten the fox existed.

However, ever since the incident nearly a year ago, he began to be more and more conscious of the fox's presence within him, especially when the moon was near its full phase. The agonizing transformation he endured had reoccurred with each full moon that passed, and thus he deduced that he had been cursed. He tried his best to predict when his "little change", so he called it, would occur, allowing him to flee from the village before it happened.

Running away did nothing but make sure no one saw him transform. Unfortunately, no matter how much distance he put between him and the village he always wandered back through the village gates. In his beast form, an underlying desire for revenge on the village consumed him, causing him to…

It was too painful to admit how he satisfied that desire.

While walking, he heard his stomach grumble with hunger. He held it and scowled, regretting ever leaving home without breakfast. Lucky for Naruto, his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku, was not far away and his wallet had plenty of money stuffed inside. Naruto hummed cheerfully until Ichiraku Ramen was only a stretch of pavement away. He noticed a person sitting at the bar. His face was hidden due to the drapes hung on the outside, but he could tell it was a ninja, wearing a green chunin vest and traditional sandals issued to Konoha ninja. Naruto pulled the curtains aside carefully and smiled overjoyed.

"Hi, Iruka-sensei!" he greeted enthusiastically.

"Hm…?" the man mumbled, turning his head towards the voice. A scar was dashed across his face, and his hair was up in a tall ponytail. A single noodle dangled from his mouth, but he quickly slurped it up and grinned. "Oh, h-hello Naruto. What brings you here?"

The man behind the counter, Teuchi, laughed warm heartedly. "Hey, Kid! Long-time no see, eh?" he said excitedly. "Where've you been?"

"Just…around. Y'know, missions to take care of and training to do," Naruto replied while taking a seat next to his old teacher. "Can't seem to make time to come anymore."

"I can tell. Kakashi's told me how busy you guys have been," said Iruka after taking a bite of ramen. "How many is it this month? Six or seven C-ranks?"

"Seven, and a low level B-rank."

"Wow, you really have been working hard," he proudly acknowledged. "Now before I forget…" Iruka searched his pockets frantically. He grumbled harmless profanities as he tried to locate the item in mind. His search was in vain, and he sighed irately.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I guess I forgot your present at home. Happy Birthday, anyways."

Naruto smirked, shutting a single eye. "At least one of us remembered."

Iruka took a bite of his ramen and gave Naruto a suspicious look. "Don't tell me you forgot again, did you?" he said with his mouth full.

"No..." Naruto coughed. "Okay…maybe…yes." Iruka chuckled again, swallowing the ramen.

"Who reminded you this time?"

"Konohamaru. He came right behind me and yelled it at me…" he complained, "and he gave me this." Naruto pulled out the card that he received and handed it to Iruka, who laughed a little at it before passing it back.

"That's right, I saw him passing this around in class yesterday."

"So, Naruto," Teuchi interrupted, "what'll you be having today?" Both he and his daughter were staring at him. Iruka returned to his bowl for a moment after giving Naruto a smug look.

"Hm? Oh, right." Naruto had forgotten how hungry he was. He looked at the menu for a moment before deciding. "I'll just have the usual. Miso barbequed pork, but uh…hold on the vegetables and…double the pork."

Teuchi nodded and Ayame proceeded to cooking his order.

"I know Kakashi has told you this before, but you can't live off of one food group…You really need to stop cutting back on the vegetables. They're good for you," Iruka lectured in a stern tone.

"I dunno…I guess I'm just not in the mood for veggies today."

"Is that so…"

His stubborn student had always been stingy about eating leafy greens, so it was not a big deal to Iruka. However, Iruka made sure to be constantly alert to anything abnormal about Naruto, regardless that it was no longer his job to do so. Even though he told himself not to be, suddenly he began to grow worried about him. Something was not right; he could feel it in his gut.

Naruto watched Ayame prepare his bowl of ramen as he tapped the counter impatiently. The mere scent of it was making his stomach growl. He clutched it and growled back. Now he was just itching to get a bite of that ramen. After a few more minutes, his meal was ready to go. Teuchi placed the decorative glass bowl in front of him and handed him a pair of chopsticks with a smile.

"It's on the house, Kid," he declared boldly.

Naruto held his hands up in protest. "No, no! I've…I've got money. I can pay."

"Nonsense. It's your birthday! Consider it a present from Ayame and me."

He grinned a sly grin, clicking his chopsticks together once.

"Thanks a bunch, Old Man!" He then dug into the bowl viciously, slurping down the noodles and taking large bites of the meat, a goofy smile spread on his face as he chewed.

"Hungry today, isn't he Dad?" Ayame asked with a chuckle.

"Sure is."

Iruka rubbed his hair a bit, laughing quietly. _"What am I getting myself worked up for…Naruto's fine! …At least…I hope so."_

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As daylight slowly died, Naruto sat atop the roof of his apartment. He had a single knee bent up, his arm resting upon it as he stared into the horizon beyond the falling sun. Birds flew across the sky in irregular formations and a light wind blew. The people who once heavily populated the streets were slowly retiring to their homes after the long day of bustle and toil.

Naruto's muscles tensed and he clenched his eyes shut. It reminded him of that night, the night when his true curse began.

His secret had been kept for so long it astonished him. By now he assumed somebody would have found out what was happening to him, for it was very hard to hide an over-sized fox with nine tails. In a way, Naruto hoped someone would discover his secret, the right person, the one that would help him—save him—from this never ending horror.

Naruto felt a lone tear drip down his cheek. At least he could be grateful that full moon would not be until tomorrow. It was as if the gods themselves prevented it as a gift to him. Even yet the thought of ever becoming such a monster haunted his conscience day in and out. His slumber was tainted with painful and traumatizing nightmares that depicted scenes of brutality and blood that no one should ever have to witness.

Regardless that it was futile, he thought it was time he at least tried to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be a rough day and rest would do him good. Just as he got up, he heard footsteps that were dangerously close. On reflex he pulled out a kunai knife from his pouch and stared in the direction the sound came from. Whoever was coming had paused. Naruto growled angrily.

"Show yourself, coward," he commanded darkly, grasping tighter to his knife. Whoever it was, they would be no match for him. He was at his strongest at night and with the sun so low, he was nearing his peak. That was one of the few positives that were derived from his curse.

A pair of slender hands appeared at the roof's edge. Naruto sneered, hearing grunts of annoyance as the intruder attempted to get on top, but then his scowl turned into a grin. Easy prey he would call it. He let out a battle cry as he charged with the intent of killing.

The person managed to lift herself half way, panting and sweating. She looked up and gasped in fear.

"Wait, Naruto!" she screamed. "It's just me!"

Naruto stopped in his tracks before reaching the edge, his knife dangerously close to the intruder's neck. She strained her head away from the blade uncomfortably and her breathing came to a halt. He looked down upon a familiar girl. She had short pink hair, bangs tied back by her forehead protector. Her eyes were a dazzling emerald green, eyes that he had been captivated with since his youth. The girl wore her (and his) favorite dress, red with white edgings that hugged tightly to her body to emphasize her feminine curves.

"Oh. It's you…Sakura," he mumbled, his voice raspy. He put the kunai knife back into its pouch, and she exhaled with relief. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"N-no, not really," she lied. Sakura jumped slightly when she saw him hold out a hand.

"Do you need help?"

"I-I'm fine…Naruto--really!" She tried again and again to pull herself up. Naruto stood there with a smirk upon his face as he waited for her to give up. Sakura sighed in defeat and nodded, grasping his extended hand. Naruto bent down and wrapped his other arm around her waist, lifting her up with little effort and gently setting her down.

Sakura had to tilt her head up for their eyes to meet. His irises were so cold, piercing her heart like daggers. The small smile he held was nearly as frightening. It did not feel quite right to look at him. If she knew Naruto, he would have held her longer and made an attempt to romance her. He did not, though. The surprise had left her speechless, and she nearly forgot her reason for coming.

"_Something's not right about him. It's like…he's not even Naruto," _she thought as she stared at him, her lips slightly parted.

"So, what do you need, Sakura?" he asked, paying little attention to her reaction.

There was a long pause.

"Sakura?"

She blinked once, shattering the trance his unfeeling eyes held her in. "Oh…oh, sorry. I just…spaced off for a second."

"It's all right. What do you need?"

Sakura shifted her gaze to the roof shingles. "W-well, I thought I should come and tell you Happy Birthday…y'know…before it was actually over."

"Oh…thanks…I guess," he muttered, looking into the setting sun with a sorrowful expression. What was he so troubled about?

"Something wrong?" Sakura asked in a concerned tone.

"Hm? No. Why would there be?" he lied easily.

"You just seem…upset, is all. Come to think of it…" She paused for a moment. "You always seem upset and…you're always running away. We never see you anymore besides mission days, and even then you aren't acting like…the Naruto we know. Please, Naruto…please tell me what's wrong. I'm really worried about you—"

"Don't be," he interrupted. Sakura stared at him in shock. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

Naruto slowly walked away, feeling terrible for causing unease in her heart. Sakura reached out in attempt to compel him to stay, but he narrowly evaded her hand. Without a word she simply watched him leave her side, the faint glow of the sun illuminating around his outline.

"Wait, where are you going?" she cried out. He stopped at the opposite edge of the flat roof and sighed, looking over his shoulder. Sakura observed his facial expression closely, discovering that his eyes glistened with tears of pain.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." His voice was quiet and hoarse. "I just need some time to think. I'll…see you tomorrow." He jerked his head away just before a single tear fell from his eye and he slid down to the balcony. Sakura stood there puzzled, her lips curled into a frown.

Hot tears streamed down Naruto's face, but he was not sobbing. He reached into his front pocket, fished out his key, and inserted it into the keyhole. Naruto looked back as he turned the key to make sure Sakura was not following him. Rubbing the tears away with his coat sleeve, he entered his small home.

"All right…quit with the waterworks Naruto," he told himself while searching for the light switch. "Remember the rules. You're a ninja…and ninjas…can't show emotion."

He managed to flip the switch. The ceiling lamp above the kitchen table lit up brightly. Upon the said table was a foreign object: a colorfully wrapped, medium sized box. It looked to him like a present; cautiously, he approached it. Next to the box was a written note, the pen used to write it still next to it. Naruto took the note off the table and read its text.

_Naruto,_

_I was going to give you this in person, but you weren't home. Your door was locked…so I sort of came in through your bedroom window. Anyways, Happy Birthday. Hope you like what I got you._

_Sakura_

"Sakura…"

He observed the gift carefully. Its wrapping was striped in many bright colors and on top a shiny red bow was attached. The color scheme was somewhat gaudy, yet it was fit for a birthday gift. Now he felt even worse than ever. Sakura had the heart to give him a present, yet he had just pushed her away out of a selfish need to be alone. Was he even worthy to open it? Should he give it back?

Naruto sat down in the chair and folded his hands, thinking about what he should do; a sickening feeling clotted in his throat. He did not mean to be like this, to be so harsh and sometimes cruel. When he pushed others away, it was merely an act of kindness. He never wanted to hurt anyone, especially those he loved. It worked, but at the same time he was still causing pain.

After contemplating it, he pulled the present closer to him, detached the bow and proceeded to tearing the paper off. Underneath was a simple cardboard box. He opened the top and reached inside. The material was rigid, but slightly smooth. He grasped the object and removed it from the container.

It was a brand new, dark green travel bag, specially designed for ninja. Its many pouches could easily contain enough supplies to last a one week mission: two main ones, four scroll holders, a small front pouch, and two others on the sides. Sturdy, yet light, it would definitely come in handy since his old one was wearing out.

The corners of Naruto's mouth twitched up into a smile, and he set his present on the table next to the shredded wrapping. He was too lazy to clean up, so he set his destination to his bedroom to do as he promised: try to get some sleep. As he rose from his seat, a knock came at his door. He averted his gaze to the tiled floor as he attempted to ignore it.

The guest knocked again, louder this time.

"Naruto…are you in there?" asked a muffled voice. Naruto hesitated for a few moments, wondering if he should respond or not.

"Y-yeah. I'm here. Coming."

He moved toward the door and opened it just a crack; standing behind it was Iruka.

"May I come in…Naruto?" he said, his eyes pleading. Naruto nodded numbly, knowing he meant him no harm. He pulled the door open all the way and gestured Iruka in.

"It's a bit of a mess, right now. I hope you don't mind," he mumbled.

"N-not at all," Iruka replied, stifling a laugh and advancing inside. He took notice to the torn wrapping paper. "Looks like somebody gave you a present. Who?"

"Sakura."

"Haruno?"

"Yeah."

Iruka chuckled. "Now I thought she didn't like you…"

Naruto shrugged. "She cares, I guess."

"Speaking of presents…" Iruka reached into a pocket normally meant for kunai or shuriken stars and seized a long, dark blue box. He handed it to Naruto with a joyful grin. "S-sorry it isn't wrapped. I didn't think you would mind."

Naruto smiled. "I guess I don't."

When he removed the lid, his expression held a touch of confusion and bewilderment. Cushioned in the box was a polished, dark gray kunai knife. It glimmered in the light as if it were never used. Naruto lifted it from its container and studied it closely. Something was carved into it. Quietly, he read it aloud.

"The will of fire…burns strong…within the ninja who…gains love and returns it?" he said questioningly. Iruka sighed and then smirked.

"M-my father…gave this to me…when I was very young…wh-when I first entered the Ninja Academy myself, actually. His father…gave it to him and his father's father passed it down as well...dating all the way back to the First Hokage. My father told me…it symbolizes the importance of love. How love…is just as crucial as ability when you are a shinobi."

"But why…are you giving it to me, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, looking at the knife again. "Wouldn't you want to give it to your own son?"

"You know I don't have one, though."

"You will someday."

Iruka shook his head. "It's complicated, Naruto. As much as I'd love to have a son of my own…I…I know it seems…like we've grown apart since you graduated…but…even yet. You're like a son to me."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sensei…" he breathed in shock.

"That is why...I'm giving it to you...Naruto," Iruka continued. He kneeled down to eye level with Naruto, placing his hand on his shoulder. He embraced him in a soft hug. The blonde boy stood still, looking forward and completely baffled.

"Sometimes...I wish...I could have told you this sooner. I'm sorry. If you could...forgive me..."

Naruto closed his eyes softly. There was nothing for Iruka to be sorry for. There was nothing for him to forgive. It was no one's fault but his. He opened his eyes to gaze out the window, his eyes locked on the near full moon. Guilt ridden, he felt his chest tighten with emotional ache. He deceived them all…and it pained him.

Iruka released the hug, but his hands were still clasped to Naruto's shoulders. A weak smile was on his face as their eyes met.

"You know...if there's anything wrong...anything at all...you can tell me. I'll...I'll help you. No matter what it is."

Naruto glanced at the moon, tears filling his eyes. "Y-yeah...I know..."

"_If only you knew…Sensei…If only…you knew…" _

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End of Chapter

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	3. Under the Cloak of Darkness

**Chapter 2**

_October 11th_

Under the Cloak of Darkness

In hopes that she would meet up with him, Sakura woke up extra early the next morning.

With sorrowful eyes, Sakura stared out into the forest with high expectations. A blue morning haze lingered over the field as the sun rose steadily. The grass was a mild shade of green, and the wind ruffled it gently. Her surroundings promoted a sense of bitter loneliness, causing her hope to rapidly diminish. Though it was obvious that arriving nearly an hour early would cause her to have to wait, it still made her feel uncomfortable to be alone and exposed.

As she waited for anyone to arrive, she thought a lot about what happened the night before. To see any kind of pain in Naruto was heartbreaking, but last night there was something mysterious and intense about his emotions. He shed tears without crying; his voice came out sad through his smile. Everything he said and did was contradictory to how he felt, or how Sakura thought he felt.

"_I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."_

"What if…he really can't…?" Sakura whispered to the air, doubting his words. She had been waiting longer than she expected and it was beginning to trouble her.

"_I just need some time to think. I'll…see you tomorrow."_

Sakura just hoped he was telling the truth.

The sound of sandals scraping against the grass reached her ears. She perked up and her head snapped in the direction it came from, thinking maybe he had finally come. Naruto was not there, but a different and familiar figure approached. With a blank expression upon his nearly flawless face, he walked towards Sakura with his hands dug in his short's pockets. Long, black bangs dangled in his face, partially hiding his onyx eyes from the world. A small smile traced Sakura's lips.

"M-morning, Sasuke-kun," she greeted warmly. He nodded her way, his eyes scanning the area.

"Where is Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his voice firm.

"Oh, uhm…" Sakura was at a loss of words at how suddenly this question came up. She stared out into the trees as she answered. "H-he's…not here yet…"

Sasuke appeared concerned about this, but he still retained an emotionless disposition. Words were unnecessary to express his feelings. He cared, but it would never truly upset him like it would Sakura. He knew that Naruto would show up eventually.

The two stood in utter silence for a while. It was painfully awkward without Naruto complaining about their sensei being late. It almost made the wait seem worthwhile. Lately, though, Naruto did not have the same spunk and attitude he used to have. He had become a lackluster shadow of his old self, quiet, distant and cold; that fact was blaringly obvious to Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto was still very temperamental, but his temper tantrums were typically harmless. Now he was dangerous when even a little angry.

The days of him being the group clown were gone a long time ago. Naruto had changed too much.

A flurry of white smoke appeared before their eyes. It cleared quickly, revealing a young man in his later twenties. His spiked, light gray hair slacked to one side of his head. A dark blue mask concealed his face from the nose down. His forehead protector covered his left eye, leaving him dependent on his right for vision.

"Morning, everyone! Sorry I'm late," said Kakashi cheerfully. He was silent until he realized that a key component to this scene was absent. His black eye searched the area in front of him. Something was definitely not right. When it hit him, he asked, "Naruto isn't here yet?"

Sakura shook her head, her eyes filled with grief. _"It's all my fault…"_

"That's…odd," Kakashi mumbled. "He's not ill, is he?"

"I…I wouldn't know," she replied with a heavy burden on her heart._ "I'm the one who drove him away last night…"_

In the distance there was a crack of a twig, causing alarm amongst the group. As a reflex Sasuke prepared to attack in case it was an enemy, activating his sharingan and performing hand signs for a fire jutsu. At a high speed, Kakashi seized his hands, clutching them tightly to stop the jutsu. He eyed his student sternly.

"It's not an enemy." Sasuke let down the Sharingan in obedience.

"What is it then?" Sakura asked, fear tracing her tone. The man craned his neck over and smiled, the only hint of it existing in his eye.

"It's just Naruto."

As he said that, the person in mention emerged from the trees, the earth and grass crunching beneath his feet. Naruto slowly ambled his way towards the team, an unfamiliar aura about him. His skin was mildly pale at a loss of its normal healthy glow. Dark circles encased his eyes, and red cracks stretched out into the whites. His hair, however, was mostly standard, standing tall and untidy above his blue forehead protector.

"You're late," Kakashi said bluntly. Naruto's gaze wandered elsewhere as he formulated an excuse.

"Sorry." His voice was hoarse. He coughed a bit to clear it. "I sorta…slept in…"

"I see…"

Kakashi narrowed his eye at him harshly. _"Naruto's house…is this way…"_ he stated in his mind, looking in the direction Naruto normally came from, _"…but today he came from the other side of the village…the deeper part of the forest. There's no way he slept in…he was doing something out there, and I intend to find out what."_

"Loser…" Sasuke muttered under his breath. Naruto, though barely hearing his comment, shot a glare in his direction.

"Nice to see you too, asshole," he scorned, straining to control his temper.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. There was something seriously bad going on with her usually goofy teammate. He seemed tired and angry, and she could not help but wonder if it was her fault.

"Naruto…I…" She eyed her teammate, whose gaze rose to meet hers. It made her uncomfortable, but mainly because it was not the way he normally looked at her. The sheer emotionless nature of his irises caused her to swallow nervously. "...are you alright?" she finally blurted out.

Naruto pursed his lips together, refusing to respond verbally. He nodded once in a slow, but assuring manner. Smiling, he paced over to Sakura, who tensed up a bit. When nothing but a few inches separated them, he put his mouth close to her ear.

"I told you last night. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You sure? You don't look too good right now," she whispered back. She put the back of her hand to his forehead, a soft yet very present heat caressing it. "Feels like you have a fever."

"Trust me, I'm fine."

"We're going to leave without you," Kakashi quipped as he and the young Uchiha strolled away.

"But I…" Before she could say anything, he followed Kakashi and Sasuke into the forest. Sakura smiled warmly, and then she ran after her three teammates.

"_Whatever you say, Naruto…I believe you."_

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"I'm in position. Team Seven, report."

"Sasuke. Scouting sector E. No sign of the target."

"Sakura. Watching border between B and C. No sign of the target either."

"Naruto. Searching full scale. Target not found."

Kakashi sighed disappointed, leaning on a tree nearby. "Copy. Keep looking." He scratched his head, scanning the immediate area. "That dog's gotta be around here somewhere…"

Scowling, Naruto switched off the communicator attached to his neck. How could his teammates take this so seriously? He had once thought that Team Seven was beyond this "kid's stuff" as he called it. His abilities alone could handle a C-rank, maybe even a B-rank. Their skills as a team could even tackle an A-rank. But no. They did not get an A-rank. Certainly not a B-rank. No where _close_ to a C-rank.

They had to get a _D_-rank.

Another damn D-rank mission.

D missions were meant for_ beginner_ genin, the fresh graduates, not for the experienced. Naruto recalled his first days as a ninja when he found difficulty in these supposedly easy tasks. His disability to concentrate did not favor him either, especially when doing the exceedingly boring. Finding a lost pet, without a doubt, was the definition of boring.

Even Tsunade, the current Hokage, knew Naruto and friends were more than capable of accomplishing the task she had pre-set for them: a regular, routine escort mission, C-ranked. It would not have taken them more than a few hours to accompany the worried merchant back to his village safely. It would have been perfect. He would have been home an hour before sundown, giving him plenty time to conceal himself.

Kakashi declined the mission, causing Naruto to throw a fit. Kakashi explained to Tsunade that they needed a break, using Naruto's exhausted appearance as proof. Even to the naïve, it was obvious Naruto had not received sleep the previous night. An escort mission would drain him completely, even if no burglars attacked. The logic was too true for Tsunade to say otherwise, so she passed the mission on to Team Eight instead and Team Seven got their taste of the old days.

They had been at it for hours. The sun was low in the sky when their search began, but now it was slightly to the west, the time sometime after noon. It was ridiculous. How could a mere canine elude four ninja so easily? As far he knew it was just a fluffy black domestic dog and not a trained nin-dog from the Inuzuka clan. Naruto scratched his head as he paced the forest floor, the dead leaves crunching under his feet. At this rate they would never find it, therefore not earning their pay for today, and in an even worse case, he may not get home before the full moon rose.

Naruto rested against a tree, sliding to the earth below him. He closed his eyes, lightly tapping his head on the bark to make himself think. If it did anything, it gave him a headache. There had to be a way for him to find that dog quickly. Well, there was that _one_ ability he had, but he despised using it. It made him feel even less human than he already did. Unfortunately, he was running out of options. He rolled his head back and breathed in through his nose steadily. A colorful amount of aromas became apparent. Easily identifying them, he named them in his mind.

"_Leaves…trees…the river…rabbit…squirrel…" _He closed his eyes tighter to concentrate. Maybe he needed something the dog had been in contact with to distinct its scent from any other canines that might've passed through. Something as simple as shed fur or a paw print in the dirt would suffice or even better yet, its collar.

Naruto smirked, realization hitting him. Reaching into a pouch, he grabbed a large, red leather ring, a name tag and vaccination tag attached to it. He had been given the dog's collar while Sakura had one of its toys and Sasuke had the leash. This division of items ensured that there would be teamwork at one point during the mission, a precaution made for the starter genin. Tsunade did not bother modifying the mission for them either.

He held the collar close to his face, inhaling through his nostrils, taking in the canine's diverse scent. As he breathed out he contemplated over its properties. The aroma was an amplified version of what humans could smell on a dog with musky undertones that gave its variety.

Naruto sniffed the air, sorting through countless odors for that particular scent. Once found, his eyes snapped open, his mind overwhelmed with this new insight. He stood slowly and began to follow the scent. It was as if the trail was visible, considering how easily he traced its path. Naruto's heart pounded with the thrill of the chase, a devilish grin gracing his face. His walk shifted to a jog and then to a sprint, satisfying his need to burn off the extra energy pulsing through his veins.

Leaves flew off the ground as he sped by. The feeling of the wind striking his face was both exhilarating and refreshing. The scent's direction changed dramatically and he was unsure if he could make the turn at his current momentum. Thinking quickly, he jumped off the ground, landing his feet on the side of a tree. Using his chakra to defy gravity, he stood firmly on the tree as if it were flat ground. He kicked himself off the side, sticking his landing and then jumping back into a run on the right course.

With each step, the scent got stronger. There were apparent signs that the dog had been here recently, such as prints in the dirt, scratches on the bark, and its waste (which, thank the lord, Naruto did not step in!). He grinned to himself, a sense of pride washing over. This time around he would take the glory, instead of Mr. Perfect, Sasuke Uchiha. He would be the one to find the dog, and he would catch it too. Naruto chuckled to himself.

The aroma reached a peak, causing Naruto to stop in his tracks. He pulled himself behind a tree, pressing his body to the bark. Naruto could hear a steady breathing and it was very close. Cautiously, he peeked at what was on the other side. Lying on its back in a sunlit clearing was a black furred creature. Its eyes were closed and part of its tongue hung out of its mouth. Its coat of fur had a beautiful shine to it. The animal was obviously well groomed and domesticated.

Naruto pushed a button on his communicator. "Naruto to Kakashi."

"Kakashi here," the leader's voice returned. Naruto narrowed his eyes towards the animal.

"Target sighted," he declared coolly. He heard Kakashi groan.

"Finally…What's your position?"

"Taking a guess. Around sector G. I can see the wall from where I'm at."

"Copy. We'll be there in a few minutes. You still have the collar?"

"Yeah."

"Get it on him. The owner said it was friendly, so you should not have any trouble. Then keep an eye on him until we get there."

"Gotcha. Naruto out."

Letting go of the button, he carefully stepped out into the clearing with the collar in hand. The dog's ears twitched, its eyes opening suddenly. Naruto flinched. As fearless as he seemed, he hated dogs. Not as much as raccoons and definitely not as much as cats, but he still had a particular loathing for them. What was worse, like any animal they could tell that you despised them. It was exactly why he hated them in the first place.

And the eyes. He absolutely _hated_ the eyes.

This dog was large for its breed. A wild guess assumed that if it were to stand on its hind legs, it would be just two or three inches shorter than him. He watched it roll over and stand up, stretching its body. Its claws dug into the dirt below and its curled tail swayed freely while doing so. Naruto drew nearer to the canine.

"H-hey there…uhm…" He looked at the name tag on the collar. "Cosmo?" The dog perked up and turned its head around, panting slightly.

"All right…" Naruto swallowed, getting closer. He held the red band out. "I'm just gonna…put this back on your neck…" Cosmo had turned his whole body around at this point as if it were cooperating. He sighed relieved. When his hand was close enough, Cosmo put his moist black nose to his skin, sniffing it.

The canine growled angrily and Naruto pulled back. "Calm down there, Buddy. Not gonna hurt ya'; just gonna put your collar on."

Naruto slowly forced his trembling arm towards the dog. It growled again with its ears pinned back. The fur on its back stood up. Cosmo barked viciously, baring its teeth. Before he could move, the dog barked again, flinging its muzzle at Naruto. It sank its teeth into his hand, causing him to drop the collar. It started as a sharp pain, and then faded to a medium sting. Naruto winced, gritting his teeth to endure the pain.

"Hey, l-let go!" he demanded, trying to pry his arm out of its mouth. The ferocious growls grew louder, its grip tightening. Blood trickled down the sides of his hand, staining the dog's pearly white fangs. The red liquid dripped onto the ground.

Why Naruto hates dogs, reason number three: they bite. Hard.

"Dirty mutt," he insulted. Cosmo did not take kindly to his words, strengthening his hold on Naruto's hand further. A short, but loud cry escaped his lips.

"Fine then…" Naruto managed out. He glared at the dog angrily. With his free hand he opened a pouch and located a kunai knife. He held it up by the taped handle, the tip pointed at Cosmo. He scowled at the dog. "Let's see if you like hell, you dumb animal."

Just as he was about to lower his arm, he was stopped. Someone had grasped onto his wrist. He protested, still attempting to lower the knife into the dog's neck.

"What…are you doing…loser?" the person asked, struggling to hold him back. Naruto recognized him immediately as he turned so their eyes would meet. His cold black irises pierced through Naruto's clear blue ones. Naruto grimaced, gritting his teeth.

"Nothing, asshole," he replied irritably.

"Our mission is to return the dog, not kill it, Naruto!"

Naruto dropped the kunai and jerked his arm away from Sasuke, and he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke. His wrist was numb from the short cut off of circulation. "I know that, Sasuke! Just because I look like an idiot, doesn't mean I am one!"

"Then what were you doing with the kunai?" Sasuke asked sternly.

"The damn dog has my hand, you bastard! What am I supposed to do? Just sit here and laugh about it?"

"No, but you can't just kill it either."

"Then what do you suggest, genius?"

Sasuke sighed, looking down upon Naruto's bleeding hand. He kneeled down to eye level with the dog, staring at it blankly. Cosmo glanced at Sasuke, but returned its gaze to Naruto uninterested. Sasuke put his hand close to the dog's nose, his middle finger poised behind his thumb. Releasing it, he flicked the dog in the nose lightly. Its eyes widened and Naruto felt the grip on his hand loosen. Sasuke quickly grabbed its lower jaw, prying it open, doing the same to the upper jaw.

"Okay, pull your hand away," he said dully. Naruto did exactly as he said with no second thought, clasping the wounds with his other hand. It hurt worse than it did before, but at least it was out of the reach of that homicidal canine.

"Th-thanks…" Naruto mumbled gratefully, staring at the ground. Sasuke grumbled back with his famous "hn."

"It's basic animal survival," he said modestly, taking Cosmo's collar off the ground. Sasuke replaced it with no difficulties, hooking it onto the leash. "There was a whole lesson about it at the academy."

Naruto frowned shamefully. Yet another of the many things he failed to learn at the academy. He was always running off, skipping class, pulling pranks, and causing trouble instead of focusing on his studies. It was a mistake he wish he never made, but back then his young mind was corrupted, clouded with desire for love, attention, and respect, something he had been deprived of since birth.

"Sasuke to Kakashi," Sasuke said, holding the button on his communicator. "Confirmed lost pet: Cosmo. Target captured."

"Good work, Sasuke."

Naruto felt a familiar emotion boil inside him at Kakashi's words. It was how he felt everytime Sasuke received praise. It was always "Good work, Sasuke," never "Good work, Naruto." Kakashi always gave all credit to Sasuke, no matter how much or how little he did. Naruto was the one who found the dog, and all Sasuke did was leash it.

"I'll meet you at the Hokage's Office," Kakashi declared. "Just wait where you're at. Sakura will join you to check for injury."

"Copy. Sasuke out." Sasuke sighed as he released the switch. "Looks like we have to stick around."

"Hmph…" Naruto grumbled, turning away from Sasuke with his arms crossed. The blood on his hand stained his coat. "Exactly what I need. Alone time with 'Uchiha the Almighty'…"

"Uchiha the…Almighty?" Sasuke repeated skeptically. "What?" He stared at the blonde boy, arching an eyebrow. _"What's his problem?"_

"You heard me, asshole."

"Whatever, loser…"

At that very second, a hidden, uncontrollable rage clicked in Naruto's mind. In attempt to restrain himself, he took deep, steady breaths, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. His feats however, were futile. He craned his neck around, sneering angrily at Sasuke. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides, the bones cracking.

"That's…it…" he muttered, his voice low and raspy. Turning abruptly, he charged at Sasuke, his arm prepped for a punch. "I'm sick and tired of you calling me that!"

Naruto shouted a battle cry as he drew near. Sasuke took immediate action, first by side stepping to narrowly dodge his punch. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's orange sleeved arm and twisted it behind his back. Naruto cried out at the ache that followed. Sasuke was able to do this while keeping hold of the dog's leash.

"Maybe I wouldn't call you that if you weren't such a _loser_," he taunted, letting go of his arm. He delivered a kick to Naruto's back, tossing him foreward and onto the ground. He lay there flat on his stomach. "Why don't you stay down till Sakura comes? You'll have less chance of dying of blood loss."

Naruto put his wounded hand before his eyes. He stared at the injuries and the blood that was still seeping from them. The bleeding had slowed, though, and the gashes were shrinking. The edges of the wounds glowed a dim orange. A soft hiss could be heard as a nearly invisible smoke rose up from the bite marks. Naruto narrowed his eyes hatefully. The Kyuubi was using its chakra to heal him, not out of compassion, but from his distaste of perishing alongside his wretched host.

If Naruto died, the Fox died.

He slowly pushed himself off the ground, ignoring Sasuke's interest for his well being. "Thanks, but I think I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

Naruto sighed, looking down on his hand again. The bleeding had now stopped and the wounds were almost fully healed. He felt calmer now, no longer burdened with his anger. "Yeah…I'm sure, Sasuke."

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After a job well done, Team Seven was rewarded for their efforts. Though a D-mission did not pay as much as the higher ranks, they still had some cash on hand. It did not matter much to Sasuke, seeing as he had plenty of money saved from previous missions and access to the Uchiha fortunes he was given when he was young. He rarely used his inheritance, saving it for when he really needed it. He learned to handle his finances at a very young age, being dependent on himself since he was eight.

The twilight sky was a soft lovely orange as he strolled down the main street of Konoha, his sandals scraping against the brick pavement. Nightfall was approaching, but the streets remained busy as ever. Taking a walk this time of day was a great way to wind down after a mission. It was very relaxing for him. The air was just starting to cool, a light breeze blowing. The inscrutable sounds of people conversing with one another lingered over.

As he enjoyed the serenity he felt his body collide with something. Startled, his eyes snapped open.

"Sorry, I…wasn't looking," Sasuke apologized. The man in question looked down on his with his single black eye, his head slightly cocked to the side.

"Ah, Sasuke. I was looking for you."

The boy turned around and looked up, discovering that the person he had bumped into was his sensei. "Kakashi?" he mumbled. His teacher chuckled warm-heartedly.

"Evening, Sasuke. I was hoping…that I could ask you…for a favor." His voice grew quieter as he spoke.

"Favor…" Sasuke muttered, faintly interested. He never generally did favors for anyone unless he got something out of it. If it did not good for him, it was nothing but a waste of time. "What kind of favor?"

Kakashi scratched his head, knowing it may be difficult to ask him for this. "Well, I guess you could call it a…mission of some sort."

"It all depends. You haven't explained what it is you want from me."

"Oh, of course, silly me," Kakashi teased cheerfully. "Why don't we discuss this somewhere more…private?"

Sasuke nodded, growing more curious by the minute. Kakashi lead his young pupil out of the busy streets into a quieter, more peaceful neighborhood in the Leaf Village. A few villagers were seen just retiring to their homes after a long day of work. Some children were still outside playing, paying little attention to the time of day. The skies were continually fading into a deep blue as the stars appeared one by one. The sun had just set on the horizon, gracing the world with the magical eye-candy of dusk. Every color of the rainbow rained across the sky, but soon enough those awe inspiring hues would be blotted out by the night.

The two reached an apartment near the edge of the forests. Going up a flight a stairs and down the hallway, Kakashi stopped at a door encrypted with the number "225." He grasped the knob and opened the door to a small room. Gesturing Sasuke inside, Kakashi closed the door behind them. Sasuke recognized this domain as Kakashi's home. It was not much of a house, consisting only of a bed, an end table, a few extra chairs, a closet, and a bathroom.

"Please, sit," Kakashi requested as he sat on the edge of his bed. Sasuke took a seat on a wooden chair directly across his sensei, a puzzled look upon his face.

"What sort of _mission _are we talking about, Kakashi?" he asked, folding his hands together. He rested his chin upon them, staring intently into Kakashi's eye.

"First things first," he stated in a strict, but calm tone. "I have a question for you: Have you noticed anything…abnormal in Naruto's behavior as of late?"

"Naruto?" That was the last thing Sasuke would expect this to be about. He paused for a moment to ponder over the odd topic. "Maybe one or two things out of place. I don't pay much attention to it."

"I see," Kakashi murmured.. "What about today? Was there anything about him you found…peculiar?"

Sasuke shut his eyes gently, thinking back on the day's events. "He did seem a little moody. More than usual."

"Yes, I can agree with that."

"Why are you asking, anyways? What's Naruto got to do with anything?"

The masked man exhaled an audible sigh. "There's something going on with him, and I intend to figure it out."

"Just because he's acting up a little doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong. He could have been having a bad day."

"There is something more to this problem than just a bad day."

"Such as…?"

"Well…That's what I'm trying to find out. The main thing I know is that he's been leaving the village often. At least once a month. Sometimes he doesn't return for days. During those longer time periods, a villager goes missing and is never seen again until the corpse is found."

"And you think there's a connection, somehow?"

"Precisely."

Sasuke averted his gaze to the floor. "He couldn't be a murderer. It's impossible."

"I'd rather not consider that, but for all we know it could be true. The way his mind works is complicated."

"Have you alerted the Hokage, Kakashi?"

"No. Tsunade-sama would not take kindly to an assumption like that, especially when it involves Naruto. She is particularly touchy about Naruto. That is why I need some proof before I talk to her."

"I'm guessing you want me to find that proof." Kakashi nodded once slowly. "Couldn't you do that yourself?"

"Normally, I would, but I've got an important meeting tonight that I cannot be late for." For once he was actually concerned about his tardiness, a shocking fact for Sasuke.

"Then do it some other night. I don't especially like doing things like this."

"It must be done tonight."

"But why?"

Kakashi turned, fixing his eye on his window. A clear view of the sunset was framed by the window pane. "He disappears the night of the full moon, as does the victim. I'm sure that tonight is when the full moon will shine. We must catch him in the act tonight or wait another month."

Sasuke grimaced. "What do I have to do?"

"I want you to follow him. Wherever he goes, you go. Do not let him out of your sight, even if he finds you. If you catch him trying to hurt anyone, stop him immediately," Kakashi explained, the intensity of his voice rising gradually. "I grant permission to use force, but not deadly force. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but before I agree to do this, I must know: what do I get out of helping you?"

Kakashi scowled, his expression hidden behind his blue mask. He despised how greedy Sasuke could be at times. "I'll see to it that this is put on your mission record as a class B mission. Does that sound fair enough?"

"Fair enough," he repeated, standing up. He stretched his arms and legs, preparing himself for this mission opportunity. "When and where do you want me to report back?"

"Keep an eye on him until sometime past midnight. I'll wait for you here after the meeting has dismissed."

"Got it," Sasuke assured his teacher. He walked to the door and placed his hand on the knob.

"One more thing before you go," Kakashi interrupted. Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "Be careful out there, and keep your distance. Naruto could be very dangerous."

With that said, Sasuke nodded and departed for his task.

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Sasuke's heart pounded against his chest as he rushed across the now dead streets of the village. The light tap from his sandals were practically the only sound in hearing distance. He had never dreamed he would have to do anything like this, but it made his life as a shinobi even more interesting. Not only was it a spying mission, but an investigation of murder, not a bad combination in his eyes. He could not believe Naruto was actually the prime suspect, though. The blonde boy always seemed so innocent and virtually harmless.

He reached a spot where he could get a clear view of Naruto's apartment. Pressing his back to a brick wall, he made sure that he was hidden from sight. Channeling his chakra correctly, he activated his sharingan, causing his onyx eyes to turn a frightening red. At its power level, he could detect even the slightest changes. The keen hypnotic red eyes scanned the area carefully.

His eyes caught movement at his rival's door, causing him to perk up. The doorknob turned, the person behind it tentatively emerging. Though his back was to him, Sasuke could see his spiky blonde hair from a mile away. He was not wearing his typical clothing. His outfit consisted of a black hoodie and dark gray pants. Even stranger yet, he was barefoot. Sasuke watched as Naruto glanced over his shoulder, his blue irises shifting from left to right. The boy shut his door, pulling the hood up over his head so his face was invisible. He then leaped off the balcony in a blur, jumping across the rooftops of the buildings.

If his Sharingan were not active, we would not have seen him.

"_He's fast…gotta move," _he thought in shock. Immediately he took off after him, keeping his distance as Kakashi suggested. Sasuke found it remarkably more difficult to follow him than he anticipated. The fact that he was on the ground while Naruto was taking an aerial route made it that more challenging.

Naruto had led Sasuke to the very edge of Konoha before he stopped in front of the village gate. Sasuke stealthily hid himself behind a building to watch for his next step. Naruto stared upwards at the leaf symbol carved into the arch. His shoulders rose and then shakily dropped with his every breath.

"Please…don't let me come back…" Sasuke heard him mutter, causing himself to shudder. Naruto's voice was deeper and completely new to his ears. He quietly watched as Naruto sped off outside the village, and the pursuit was on once more.

"_Just where is he going?" _he asked himself. Naruto guided him through the deepest parts of the Leaf's outer forests. He noticed as the sky grew darker, the slower Naruto moved. To Sasuke's relief, he could slow down as well, his energy draining quickly. While Sasuke was nearly exhausted, Naruto was not showing any signs of fatigue.

Suddenly, Naruto halted to a stop at a grassy clearing. A small pond was located in this area. Sasuke took refuge in a nearby tree to get a bird's eye view of him. Naruto lowered his hood, revealing his spiked hair once more. He then proceeded to removing the sweatshirt and his undershirt, leaving his upper torso bare. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his suspicions rising.

"I won't hurt anyone…I can't…no matter how tempting…I won't…I won't…I won't…" Naruto chanted with his eyes shut tight. Tears threatened to spill, but he absolutely refused to cry. A deep maniacal laugh rang in his head. The Fox was mocking him for his fear. It became harder for him to breathe, knowing that the time was near. The sun was now gone and the full moon now blessed the night sky. Two tears dripped down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes.

"What is he doing?" Sasuke whispered to the air, bouts of confusion and bewilderment clawing at his mind.

Naruto spun around startled, his eyes wide. He heard something out there. A voice, a familiar one too.

"Wh-who's out there?" he shouted frantically.

"_Shit, he heard me…but how?"_

"Show yourself!" he bellowed, now angered. Birds in the trees flew off, frightened by his outburst. Sasuke sat on the branch petrified, unable to determine how he should react. He had been spotted. In a spying mission, that usually meant retreat, but his orders clearly stated he was not to let Naruto out of his sight.

Meanwhile Naruto felt his body quake, a fever rising up his spine. The full moon was now high enough to take its cruel and malevolent effect on Naruto. Whoever was out there was a dead man. He balled his hands into fists, very patiently awaiting his change into beast.

As he stared into the darkness a figure dropped down from the trees, staring at him with blood-curdling sharingan eyes. Naruto gasped, stumbling backwards. He gawked at him with pure terror.

"S-Sasuke?"

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End of Chapter

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	4. Brother, I No Longer Trust

**Chapter 3**

_October 11__th__ – October 12__th_

Brother, I No Longer Trust

Naruto's legs trembled as he backed away fearfully, hoping there was no change in him yet. His blood ran cold through his veins as he gazed into Sasuke's deep red Sharingan eyes. The tomoes within the irises screamed out to him like a chorus of dying shrieks.

"What are you doing here?" he asked through clenched teeth, prepared to fight the change with all his might.

Sasuke loomed in closer with his eyes narrowed. "I should be asking you the same thing, Naruto."

"S-stay back!" he suddenly shouted, his body now pressed to a tree. His breathing grew heavy, the sickening pang in his stomach signaling the transformation's beginning. Sasuke paused in his stride. "Go away, asshole! Now!"

"I can't do that. I'm ordered to keep an eye on you." Naruto grimaced at both him and the agony that was ripping through his flesh.

"You were told to do this!?" Naruto questioned. His hand shot up to his throat. He had already changed in voice. Not good. He slammed his eyes shut. His muscles tensed. Sasuke came in closer, his facial expression possessing a mixture of confusion and anger.

"No…get…" he panted. A sharp pain formed in his nails. Black talons dug into the tree bark as they lengthened. Sasuke still had not seen anything.

"…get…away…"

Sasuke was unconvinced.

"Please…I…"

He continued to approach.

"I don't…want to…"

"Shut up, loser," he demanded, annoyed by Naruto's pleas.

"S-Sas…uke…" Naruto clenched his teeth as fangs developed.

"Enough, Naruto," Sasuke muttered, clasping his hand on Naruto's shoulder tightly. "What are you doing out here?"

His eyes snapped open. On reflex, his arm jerked upwards, his clawed hand seizing Sasuke's wrist. The Uchiha's eyes grew wide at the sight of long, black nails digging into his skin. His arm and mind went numb with fear, his confidence and courage suddenly meaning nothing. Naruto bared his fanged teeth. The joints in his legs popped, bending his knees as his heels were pushed off the ground.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" he roared, his voice scarily feral. A vile sneer morphed his lips. Sasuke gasped horrified as he gazed into irises that no longer held the quality of a carefree blue sky. Imprisoning the appearance of a dead battle field, bloodshed and fury, a slitted black pupil befell the blood soaked irises.

"_Those eyes…"_

He tore Sasuke's arm from his shoulder, using his other to push him to the ground. Sasuke's body trembled as he backed up on his rear, unable to avert his gaze from Naruto's malformed body. Patches of red fur grew on his skin, starting on his hands and his chest, spreading rapidly. Claws identical to those on his fingers had developed on his toes. Naruto doubled over, groaning at his anguish.

His bones cracked, his joints popped, and his muscles were sore beyond comprehension, taking on new shapes and forms. He hunched over, his spine bending into a curve. Naruto was no longer concerned if Sasuke witnessed this. The pain was too much for him to care. Desperate for relief, he let a single scream escape his lips. That was what the Fox desired, to hear his host's agony. The Fox laughed wickedly, displaying his sick amusement for pain. It never had hurt this much, though. All his changes after the first were nearly painless. It was strange to admit, but Naruto usually enjoyed the transformation.

"_Tonight, your kill delivered itself, Naruto," _the Fox spoke maliciously.

"N-no…I…won't…" Naruto mumbled, breaking off into another cry. A surge of energy ripped down his spine, ending at his tailbone. Long, muscular tails extended above his rear, a thick layer of red-orange fur covering each of them. His ears elongated, migrating to the top of his head. A low, guttural growl emitted from his mouth as his jaws stretched into a triangular muzzle, the tip of his nose turning black. His teeth grew to fit, sharpening into powerful tools for shredding his prey.

The newly formed creature raised his muzzle high. A shrill fox shriek rang through the air, cursing the moon for all its doing. Sasuke could only stare in disbelief.

"_What…in the world…is he?"_ he thought frantically as he attempted to move. His limbs were frozen with fright, rendering him a vulnerable target.

The beast's head lowered, hanging there limply as he panted. Short whines escaped his lips with every breath. His pain was fading, indicating it was all over. His tails twisted wildly with rage. He closed his eyes, growling angrily like the animal he was, clawing at the earth beneath him. The change hurt because_ he_ had to come. _Sasuke _had to follow him here. Naruto's desire to protect him forced himself to fight the transformation. Resistance was where the true pain derived from.

Shakily, Sasuke reached for his kunai pouch secured on his right shorts leg. In the worst case, he would have to defend himself against this…thing. Its long, pointed ears perked up as he got hold of a knife. He took it out slowly. The animal that was once Naruto eyed him with pure malice. Sasuke took a deep breath, calming down. He knew nothing of this creature or its capabilities. All he knew: it was staring at him and it was growling, clear signs that it was not friendly.

The red furred animal prowled towards him on all fours. It bared its teeth, causing a repulsive froth to drip from them. Its blood red eyes stabbed directly into his soul. Its horrible screech had left him paralyzed. Any sane man would be deathly afraid in the face of this monstrosity. The closer it got, the more his fright engulfed him. Sasuke sneered, holding his kunai knife above his chest. Living as a shinobi, it was crucial to never show that he was afraid in the face of danger.

There was so much to fear, yet there was this ominous beauty to the beast. The coat of fur it possessed shined in the moonlight. If he were to run his fingers through it, he was certain it would be soft as silk and each hair would fall back into place without flaw. Its body was lithe, yet muscular, lurking toward him with an otherworldly grace. The tails, which attracted most of Sasuke's attention, moved with identical elegance, swaying like powerful waves on the seas.

"_God damn you, Kakashi. Why couldn't you do this yourself?"_

All of a sudden Naruto jumped into a sprint. Sasuke held the weapon so the tip was pointed at the creature. With its claws, it swiped the kunai right out of his hands. The knife landed a few meters away, out of Sasuke's reach. Hatred spinning through his eyes, Naruto dug each set of talons into the Uchiha's skin, pinning him to the floor. Sasuke grit his teeth at the pain, making an effort to not scream.

The beast stared at him intently, putting its muzzle close to his face. He strained his head away as the creature inhaled through its moist black nose. Naruto could see it. He could smell the fear in Sasuke's heart. He mocked it with a short laugh.

"I never knew you could be so scared, you meager little bastard..." the creature said, his irises glowing with delight. Sasuke's eyes widened, its demonic voice freezing his thoughts. The fact it had human speech capabilities was startling.

"Speechless, I see," Naruto uttered, removing the claws from Sasuke's right shoulder. He eyed the blood coating his claws and grinned. Tentatively he ran his long tongue across the talons, licking the sweet nectar off of them. "Pity…and I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

Sasuke struggled under the huge, red-furred mass. One of its many tails brushed against his face. He shivered slightly. "N-Naruto…what…"

"So, he can talk!" he retorted, releasing a laugh. He licked the remainder of blood off his claws. "Your blood does taste good…everyone else's seemed to have that bitter after-taste. Unfortunately…I already promised myself I wouldn't kill you."

"This isn't funny, Naruto," Sasuke snapped, feeling his heart race. His breathing was shaky. "Whatever kind of genjutsu this is…I'm not falling for it."

"Genjutsu?" Naruto chuckled, and then scowled. "I wish this was a mere genjutsu. Your pain and bloodshed are very real as is this demon that stands before you."

Sasuke managed to wrestle himself free from the monster's grasp. He tumbled backward, ignoring his wounds, hastily grabbing another kunai and flinging it at Naruto. That would dispel the genjutsu. With a smirk, Naruto raised his paw-like hand in the path of the kunai, letting it stab into his flesh. The pain was fierce, but ignorable. His blood scattered, landing in his fur and on the blades of grass.

A single drop of the blood landed on Sasuke's cheek. It felt warm on his cold flesh. His arm quaked as he raised it to his face. Gingerly, he touched the blood with his fingertips.

"_This blood isn't fake…it's…real…"_

Naruto removed the kunai, throwing it aside into the pond. He scoffed, ridiculing the wound as nothing as the mist from the Fox's healing began to rise. He shot Sasuke an evil glare.

"_It's…impossible…"_

"Do you see now…Sasuke?" he asked calmly, breathing steadily. Sasuke remained silent as if a rope was tied around his neck. Naruto grit his fanged teeth in frustration.

"Do you see…the monster that I've become?!"

Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground as to stand on his hind legs. It was not easy to do so in his current form, but he was well practiced in the technique. Angrily, he leered down on Sasuke, his own height now greatly surpassing his. He approached him, growling viciously.

"I gave you the chance to run. So, why didn't you?"

Involuntarily, Sasuke stepped backwards in sync with Naruto, incapable of commanding his limbs otherwise. Naruto's patience grew thinner with each moment, soon shattering like a fragile glass vase. He dashed in a blur, taking hold of Sasuke's shirt collar and slamming him against a nearby tree. Sasuke grunted, his head throbbing. Naruto's claws were dug into the bark as he pinned him to the tree by his neck. He made certain he was able to breathe.

"Answer me, Sasuke…" Naruto stared deeply into Sasuke's fearful onyx eyes.

Sasuke was wordless, bringing his arms up in attempt to pry the beast off. He kicked his legs, mustering every ounce of strength he had. Naruto snarled as he raised a clawed hand.

"Fine."

He lowered his talons, effectively ripping through Sasuke's shirt and slicing his shoulder. The boy yelped at the unbearable sting as blood slowly seeped through the cuts. The beast grimaced.

"Answer me this then!" He ripped the claws down his arm, tearing the bandages wrapped around them. Blood rapidly stained the leftover wraps. "If I'm supposed to hate you…" Another swipe left four symmetrical cuts across his chest. Naruto felt another cramp in his stomach. "Why do I feel sick…" He dug his claws back into his shoulder, shoving his muzzle up in his face. "…when I cause you pain?"

"_You tasted the Uchiha's blood, Naruto. You know you crave for more," _he heard the Fox mutter wickedly. Naruto winced, straining to eliminate the Fox's influence on his actions. Furiously, he clawed at Sasuke's body. It was the only convenient source to relieve this boiling anger within him.

"_He's such an easy kill, paralyzed with fear."_

"Shut…up…" he muttered aloud. Another scream escaped Sasuke's lips. He did not know how much more of this he could take.

"_He deserves it. He's done nothing but insult you. Hurt you." _

Naruto clenched his eyes shut. His words were dripping with truth.

"_He stole your chance to gain recognition from your beloved sensei. Do you not despise him for it?"_

He did despise him, but for other reasons. Only a fool would seek revenge for such a small matter.

"_Kill him. You have the ability. You have the strength. Rip his soulless heart out with the claws I've gifted you with."_

Sasuke weakly opened an eye. His shirt was in tatters, as was his skin, and he was loosing blood at an alarming rate. Painfully, he realized his death was imminent. His arms went limp at his sides and his struggling ceased, no longer possessing the strength to fight back.

With every drop of blood, Naruto's sanity went along with it. His baser instincts cried out to him, begging him to end it now. The feel, the smell, the taste, the color. Blood was the only reason he killed, the only reason he would want to kill. Blood turned this kind, gentle human into a savage, murderous beast. He would not be able to live with himself, knowing he took another life, destroyed the last of the Uchiha clan, and more importantly, killed his best friend.

"_He'll die anyway…there's little possibility he'll live after what you did to him…" _the Fox said solemnly.

"No…" he whispered, a heavy burden on his heart.

The Kyuubi chuckled manically. _"Isn't it grand to take your anger out on the pathetic humans? You might as well…put him out of his misery."_

Naruto growled angrily, feeling the last bits of his dominance slip away. The blood was too inviting to ignore it any longer. He had to get a taste…just one…little taste. Shakily, his jaws opened, flaring his sharp teeth. A low growl emitted from his muzzle, a single tear falling from his eye.

Sinking his teeth into a shoulder, the sweet red ooze rushed into his waiting jaws. Sasuke's eyes widened, his screams of pain ripping through the night air as he stared up at the full moon.

Naruto was overwhelmed by the taste. He had only gotten a sample of this blood before and it was even sweeter directly from the flesh. The Uchiha's blood was as elite as the clan it came from. A one of a kind delicacy. The liquid dripped down his throat and out of his mouth, tainting his beautiful teeth and fur. The deafening screams had died, but he yearned to hear more. He tightened his grip, allowing another splash of blood to caress his tongue.

No matter how hard he tried, Naruto could not pull himself away from the body.

Sasuke gasped for air and his heart was pounding; He knew he was powerless to do anything. He had been degraded to mere prey for this bloodthirsty beast. At one point he began to plea for his death, regardless if in such a dishonorable way.

Struggling for control, Naruto clenched his eyes shut. Only one taste did he permit himself, yet he was greedily stealing Sasuke's precious blood. He gave his word, even if not out loud. Beast or not, Naruto Uzumaki never goes back on his word.

On will power alone, his jaws loosened and he was granted dominance. With his free arm, he shoved himself off, careful to not take any flesh with him. He stumbled backwards, falling to the forest floor on his back. Naruto swallowed the remainder of blood, savoring it while it lasted. His many tails had become lifeless. He could not believe himself. To have lost control so quickly was unacceptable; that blood was just too delicious, too addictive. No one in their right mind could resist it, but was he even in his right mind?

Sasuke slid to the ground, no longer suspended by Naruto's arm. His body fell foreward, the blades of grass like knives to his wounds. He clutched onto the grass tightly and bit his lip. His hand went numb at his effort to ignore the sting. If it did anything, it only made it worse. He freed the grass from his grasp, doing everything he could to stay calm. Taking deep, even breaths, one of the exercises he preformed, was proven futile.

His body shivered like it would on a cold day, but he did not feel cold. He felt warm, feverish to be exact. His arms trembled as he attempted to push himself off the ground. The wounds coating his skin cried out to him in their pain, but he ignored it. His upper limbs collapsed, too weak to lift him. All he could do was lay there and wait for his demise, making for quite the annoyance.

"_Goddamnit…can't…get up!" _Trying again a few times, he found himself on the ground after every futile attempt. He grimaced. _"It can't end here…it just… can't…"_

A strange pulse tore through him, causing him to loose his breath. His temperature rose a bit. His heartbeat slowed. For a moment he lost all feeling in his body.

The pain returned promptly after, yet it was less intense. He could ignore it, but only long enough to get himself off the floor and out of that undignified position. He let his back fall into the tree, using it to support his limp form. His vision came in and out of focus as he struggled to remain conscious.

"_Who am I kidding…?" _His mind was overwhelmed with anger as he gazed at Naruto's fox form. He gritted his teeth, a slight growl slipping through. _"That… bastard…I'll…kill him…I won't die before he does…"_

Bringing his hands up, he clasped his hands together into the tiger hand seal. Quickly, he jumped through other signs in a precise manner. Along with these motions and correct element manipulation, he prepared one of his most commonly used jutsu.

"_Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"_

He took a deep breath in, putting a single hand near his mouth, his index finger and his thumb forming a circle. Just as he exhaled, he felt his arm cramp up and weaken, causing the jutsu to fail. Growling, he dropped his arm, grasping it in his other hand. Fearfully, he stared down, watching his numb limb twitch. It was devoid of all energies, as if his chakra was cut off from it.

In fact, his entire body felt this way. He couldn't channel any chakra, but he had plenty to spare. It had all concentrated to his very center against his will. The pool of chakra was molding and intensifying within him. It was very uncomfortable, and attempting to move the chakra made it worse.

Suddenly, the building energy burst, crashing down on his body like a tidal wave. It was overwhelming, but strangely it felt nice. It was calming, inviting, and tranquil. He could relax or maybe doze off into a slumber to the tune of this feeling. He swooned, grasping onto the dirt below him. No longer did he feel so tired and weak. He felt strong and energized.

But this newfound energy was coming from an outside source.

Determined to find it, he analyzed every little detail of the area. The fox-creature was definitely emitting an incredible energy all its own, but it was not the same. There was nothing here but himself, Naruto and the forest.

On impulse, his head shot up to the starry night sky. A bright white sphere stood out from all the other lights. Staring directly into it, the waves of energy became more intense, more powerful. His eyes burned, but he found himself unable to tear his gaze away.

"_It's the moon…That's why I'm feeling this…but it doesn't explain…" _he thought observantly.

A small smile crept up on his pale, blood soaked face.

"_I…never realized…how beautiful…"_

A shiver ran down his spine.

"…_the moon…I don't know why…but it's…"_

His fever was rising steadily. He paid little attention, his focus locked on the full moon.

"…_I can't…stop thinking…about it…"_

The bite wound on his shoulder lit up with a fiery heat.

"…_What's…going on?"_

The heat quickly spread to every corner of his being. His wounds in particular felt as if they were on fire. He gritted his teeth, moaning in agony. He clutched his aching stomach, holding in the urge to vomit. This suffering had come on so…suddenly. His eyes were fearful as he stared onward into space.

Naruto's ears had picked up on Sasuke's quiet groan, indicating he was still alive, much to his relief. However, it also worried him.

"Sasuke…you…all right?" he queried between his breaths. He was answered with another unintelligible groan. Hastily, he lifted his back off the ground, narrowing his demonic eyes in the Uchiha's direction. One of his ears hung lopsided, the other standing tall as he examined Sasuke.

He was sweating profusely, the perspiration dripping down his face and soaking what was left of his shirt. The gash left in his shoulder glowed a soft red. Not only the bite, but his other injuries were giving off the same impression. The bleeding had stopped and a light mist rose from the cuts.

"_His wounds are healing…" _Naruto looked down on his clawed hands. _"Like the Fox heals me…"_

The blaze consuming Sasuke was too much to bear, forcing him to shout out at his anguish.

"_Did I…do something?"_

His limp ear twitched at an oddly familiar sound. A snap.

Severe pain coursed through Sasuke's veins, his hands and feet specifically hurting. Placing his trembling hands before his eyes, his heart pulsed even faster. His vision was skewed and everything was a distorted blur. From what he could make out, it appeared as if his nails were turning darker and growing longer at a rapid pace. Blood trickled down his fingers. He had to of been hallucinating or he had finally gone insane from the agony.

But he had not. Naruto witnessed the same from his point of view. He glanced at his own hands, and then back to Sasuke's. His blackened nails had taken on a glossier look and were thinning out at the edge, forming into deadly points.

Sasuke blinked to clear his field of vision. Everything slowly came back into focus. He nearly jumped, his breathing uneven in his horror. Scrambling backwards, he pressed his body to the tree. Somehow…

…his hands had gained claws.

A sly grin appeared on Naruto's muzzle.

A piercing shriek escaped Sasuke's lips. He was forced to slam his eyes shut, the agony too strong to withstand. Every inch of his skin screamed with irritation, but he refused to scratch at it. Cracking could be heard, but he was unsure as to where it was coming from. A quick blow of wind tossed his bangs, soothing his pains for that split moment.

From Naruto's perspective, the blood covered body before him was undergoing changes, changes that he found very familiar. Dark talons formed from his toenails, drawing more of the red ooze. Sasuke shifted positions in discomfort. His feet slipped out from his sandals, their own growth taking place as his heels became distant to the ground. His terror left him trembling, gasping for air as he weakly opened his eyes once more.

Thin black strands pricked out of his pale skin from the backs of his hands. In awe, he traced their movement and augmentation as they lengthened into hairs, moving up his arm, taking over his skin. He groaned, holding his stomach, the cracking sounds now twice as audible. He hunched over in a pathetic attempt to endure the pain of it all, a tearing sound advancing over all the others. He found he could not return to a normal position afterwards.

Sasuke was not allowed a second of time to think things over. The pain was getting worse. It felt as if multiple individuals had a hold of his body and were all pulling in different directions. His muscles were sore, uncooperative to his own commands. He let out a feral growl, on the verge of resorting to begging. He managed to direct his head to the sky to stare at the moon.

Naruto simply lay there, resting his muzzle on his crossed arms as he observed Sasuke intently. His tails waved slowly, twitching a bit, expressing his curiosity.

"_He will be a gorgeous creature once he is complete," _he thought as he stared into bright, lupine yellow eyes, the very eyes that would replace Sasuke's humanity. The tattered remains of his clothing tore off into an unfixable scrap, revealing near all his body covered with a coat of black fur. His muscle and bone had shifted, gaining a bit more girth and power. A triumphant smirk graced the fox creature's face. Another was suffering his curse and of all people, he could not have chosen anyone more deserving than Sasuke.

Well, it _was _just an accident.

Sasuke's white teeth gleamed in the moonlight above as they too reformed themselves. His gums bled, torn by a newly grown set of fangs. Human cries were replaced with animal-like growls. Naruto frowned, disappointed. There was not much left for his rival to experience, but recalling correctly the final stages were the most painful. His mood was lifted as pointed ears forced their way near the top of his head, thinly layered with fur. _Now_ it was getting interesting.

The base of Sasuke's spine ached, drawing his undivided attention. A nub of flesh appeared above his rear as it quickly extended into a long, curled appendage. Bushy fur covered the extra addition to his body. It swished behind him violently due to his lack of control. Massive discomfort built up in his face promptly. The veins in his neck bulged. He could hear his own heartbeat as his jaws jutted out. His furred face stretched and reformed inside and out as to complete his new form. Sharper, razor teeth replaced his dull human ones to fill in his maw.

"_Whatever he has become…it's nothing like the Fox…" _Naruto thought, viewing the finished product. Sasuke growled, a craving to cry to the moon clawing at his mind. As hard as he tried to control the instinct, his efforts were in vain.

His arms hanging limply at his sides, his muzzle rose into the air. His ears were drawn back as a melodic howl slipped through it. Though loud, it was not as chilling as Naruto's variation. It was smooth and truly mournful. Naruto's sorrowful cries were only pretend compared to this.

His jealousy for the Uchiha was sparked once more.

Under the weight of intense pain and wild emotion, Sasuke collapsed to his side, his eyes only half open. Doggish whines followed his every breath, yet he hardly noticed. His heart slowed to a snail pace. Sweet relief washed over his nerves. It was over…it was finally over.

Naruto chuckled manically, returning to an all-fours position. He put his arms in front of him, stretching his body. His shoulders rolled as his claws curled and uncurled. Prowling to Sasuke, he plastered a toothy grin. He nudged the black creature with a paw. He did not move an inch, a dazed look in his eyes. Naruto tapped him again, this time harder.

"Sasuke, get up," he said, receiving no results. It must have frightened Sasuke more than he had thought. "Don't tell me you're gonna pass out on me." His pointed ears twitched and his mouth opened a crack. His pearly fangs were bright in contrast to his fur. Annoyed, Naruto struck him in the chest with all his force.

A shrill, dog-like whimper escaped Sasuke's jaws. His eyes widened, and he put his hands over his mouth. Had he just made that sound? To top it off, his mouth was further out than it used to be, giving him another scare.

Frantically, he ran his hand over his face, over his muzzle. Worried, he turned to gaze at his body, or as if he _could_ see it. Everything was covered in a black shroud, conflicting with the fact that it was the middle of the night. He tugged at it, a sharp sting following. His heart raced again as he scrambled to his feet, inadvertently landing on all fours. A single hand had sunk into cold water. Startled, he looked down.

The surface of the clear liquid rippled, deforming the image of the full moon that danced across it. Like the moon, his own reflection was garbled. He remained still, staring intently at the water. Everything slowly came into focus, but he did not see what he anticipated.

Two bright yellow irises stared back at him.

He jumped backwards, crying out frightened. Frantically, his eyes darted around and traced his body. None of it made sense. The fur. The claws. The _tail_.

"Calm down, Sasuke…" Naruto grumbled irritated. Sasuke's head shot in the direction of the voice. A feral snarl formed in the back of his throat. It was not a humane growl, but predatory. Where it came from, Sasuke did not care. Burning anger boiled inside, tormenting him. His fierce, golden irises flared, shooting the fox a threatening glare.

"What…have you…" he mumbled, his voice deeper and darker. Another growl emitted from his mouth as he lunged himself at Naruto on impulse, tackling him to the ground. "…done to me?!"

Naruto shuddered at the evil tone of Sasuke's changed form. He smirked, laughing.

"I remember my first time. It isn't wise to let your anger control you."

"Shut up!" Raising his arm, he raked his claws across Naruto's face, drawing blood effectively. Naruto winced, but that arrogant grin remained.

"Sasuke, I'm hurt." His tone was sickly sweet. "You should be grateful to me. I've given you a new chance at life." Sasuke's hot breath caressed his neck, causing his nerves to spasm. "Can't you feel it? That sense of…truth…the sense of…power. The feeling of a beast!"

Naruto turned the tables, now pinning him to the floor. There was a crazed glint in his blood red eyes. Shock was painted across the Uchiha's expression. "This curse is a beautiful thing, Sasuke. My curse…the Fox's curse…but now…" He lowered his muzzle to his demonic, pointed ear, his voice dropping below a whisper. "It is your curse as well…"

"Y-you…you…aren't…human," Sasuke managed, fear tracing his words.

"And neither are you. You're a slave to the night, to the full moon, a cursed beast…just…like…me…"

Thinking swiftly, he flung his jaws over Naruto's leg, sinking his jagged teeth in its flesh and muscle. Naruto yelped in pain. Strands of fur and blood entered his muzzle. His eyes widened respectively as the red liquid flowed down his throat. The fur on the back of his neck tingled. The blood was delicious...mouthwatering...beautiful.

Naruto bit him in the neck, only hard enough to get him to release his arm. He jumped backwards, sliding on the grass and watched as Sasuke stumbled into a quadruped position, charging in with his teeth bared. Growling, the red fur lining his spine bristled as Naruto crouched in a pouncing position. When Sasuke jumped, he jumped, ramming into him with great force. The black furred creature was sent hurdling into the shallow pond.

Sasuke staggered out of the water, his shiny coat of fur drenched. He eyed the fox, spite and disgust within his irises. Dashing foreward, he concluded it was going to take a lot more tactics to get to him.

He readied his claws, as did his rival. Simultaneously, they sliced at eachother, both taking blows, tearing the fur and skin. Naruto dug his claws into a shoulder, biting into the other. He took note that his blood tasted different now. It was still sweet, like sugar, but a salty undertone had been added. Either way, it was still a blood of high quality.

Sasuke fought back by taking his own claws and forcing them through Naruto's abdomen. A strident cry ripped out from the fox's muzzle. Unintentionally, he tore his talons down his black furred chest, leaving deep gashes from his shoulder down to his mid torso. Sasuke snarled threateningly through his clenched teeth. He dragged his claws down Naruto's left arm, following it up with another attack to his chest. Naruto shoved his nails in a wrist, gripping onto it tightly.

With all his strength, he tossed Sasuke aside into a nearby tree. As his back collided with the bark, he yelped, sliding to the ground. Roaring angrily, he rushed back to Sasuke, running his claws across his face. The black animal snapped his jaws wildly at the red furred arm, blinded with rage and fury. He dodged the attacks with precision, but his moves were getting sloppy. He may be only using taijutsu, but in this form even that drained chakra.

Sasuke inched away from the angry fox. Signs of fatigue were apparent. Keeping his distance, he quickly formulated a plan. _"I don't know what's going on here…but if I don't act it could mean my life. Think, Sasuke, think!" _he commanded himself, narrowly avoiding Naruto's talons. In doing so, the fox's fangs sank into his left hand. The swift pain forced an animal-like cry. _"If I can just get far enough…I could try to use another fire jutsu…or maybe even Chidori."_

Thrusting his leg into Naruto, he shoved him off, loosing a bit of flesh and skin. Disregarding it, he stumbled backwards, finding it hard to walk on two feet like this. Awkwardly, he held his hands (or paws?) into a seal, speeding through others of his choice technique. In mid-sequence, his curled claws caught onto each other, stopping the chain of hand signs. Irritated, he growled. A smug smirk appeared on Naruto's muzzle.

"_Damn it…I can't do hand-signs properly like this…"_

The red fox raised a hand, wagging a finger back and forth in a scolding fashion. "Can't use ninjutsu, can you?" With blinding speed, Naruto pressed him back onto the ground before he could fight back.

"Look at you. You're helpless without them. I bet you can't even use the Sharingan like this," he taunted. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, averting his gaze elsewhere.

"You're right. I can't," he agreed in a casual, calm tone. He shot his arm up and clasped his hand around Naruto's neck tightly. An evil, repugnant grin was forced upon his muzzle. "…but that isn't going to stop me from killing you for whatever you've done to me…"

When Naruto tried to breathe no air would enter his lungs. Numb pain gripped him, screaming to him for oxygen. A quiet whine slipped through as he scrambled in Sasuke's death grasp. By accident, the claws on his toes scraped his black-furred skin, deep enough to cause its intended agony. Sasuke let go, and Naruto gasped for air.

Now standing directly across from eachother, they were caught in a stare down. Circling the ground, each of them waited patiently for someone to attack. Ferocious growls and menacing glares were shot back and forth between the two creatures of the night. The fur on their back bristled.

"You looked like such a sweet little puppy, but I guess you're not," Naruto joked, the cold earth freezing his hands as he paced. Sasuke did not respond, but ceased all movement. The fox followed his suit.

Using their respective cries, they leapt foreward into a brawl. They thrashed, fighting tooth and nail, giving and taking attacks of all sorts. Barks and whines ripped through the sound barrier. Blood tainted their fur, claws, and teeth, splattering it all over the grass and dirt around them. The two animals had been caught in a clash in which time almost stood still.

At this rate, there would be no outcome.

Holding Sasuke's fist, Naruto made direct eye contact with him.

"Listen to me. You're making the same mistake I made. You're letting your anger control you," he stated sternly. His words had no effect, the fist crashing through his defense. Naruto fell on his side a few feet further. As Sasuke pounced, he rolled to the side to dodge it. Panting, Naruto attempted to stand up, his tattered arms trembling.

Sasuke struck him in the back, plowing him back to the ground. A manic grin crossed his muzzle as he raised his paw, prepping it for another assault. Concentrating hard, Naruto utilized two of his tails to wrap around Sasuke, one around his waist, the other around his arm. With correct timing, he loosened his tails and landed a hard kick on Sasuke's abdomen. The black beast gagged, the wind knocked out of him as he crashed into the soil.

Sasuke shakily tried to lift himself, his feats resulting in collapsing. He closed his eyes softly, giving up on himself. Naruto stared over his shoulder, sorrow within his eyes as he watched the slow rise and fall of his friend's chest. Sweet darkness crept up on his own mind. He felt his body meet the cold forest floor.

The burden of his guilt was everlasting as he awaited his drift into unconsciousness. His tails rested limply as well as his ears, his eyelids falling over his evil red irises. A short whine passed through the fox's jaws, and he fell into a slumber.

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End of Chapter

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	5. Recovery: Another to The Curse

**Chapter 4**

_October 13th_

Recovery: Another to The Curse

_A black abyss. That is all his mind is. No thoughts. No feelings. No memories. Just…black…_

_This path was suiting for one like him. He held his head low as he paced the infinite darkness. No one was there, but a hushed whisper lingered over. _

"_Vile demon…"_

"_Monster…"_

"_Evil filth…"_

"_Murderer…"_

_There was nothing he could do of it, but listen and agree. He was a vile demon, a monster, evil filth, a murderer, a disgrace to the rank Leaf Shinobi. However, he never wanted to be. His instinct to kill and tendency to hate was forced upon him._

_Tears rolled down his cheeks, splashing on the dark surface below him. They emanated a bright light, glimmering like diamonds, leaving a trail behind him. He rid himself of the purity and innocence of these waters. He didn't deserve them. _

_Raising a clawed hand, he pressed it to his chest, searching for warmth, for a soft pulse. Nothing of the sort existed. The shimmering tears were replaced with tears of black, as black as his soulless heart. He felt his foot catch on something, causing him to fall on his hands and knees. Malicious laugher echoed around him._

"_Loser."_

"_Weak!"_

"_Idiot!"_

"_Pathetic…"_

_A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. He bared his fanged teeth. Charging forward, he tore through…something. He could feel himself rip the body with his bare hands, but the individual was unseen. _

_Panting, he bent over, hanging there limply. Screams of terror erupted from the void. Blotches of crimson red appeared on the floor, dripping from the ceiling, and seeping down the walls. He turned abruptly, dragging his claws through the empty room wildly. He knew he was attacking humans, but they were only seen when they finally dropped to the ground._

_Dead._

_Men. Women. Children. Shinobi. All fell victim to his blood thirst._

_The dark room fell silent. His own soft, wicked laugher broke through it all. That wasn't enough, though. Not enough kills. Not enough blood. _

"_Naruto!"_

_He perked up. Someone called to him. A female. Her sobbing echoed in the abyss._

"_How could you?"_

_Sadly, he looked down._

"_How could you kill him?"_

_Before him, another corpse appeared, sprawled out on the ground face down. Claw and teeth marks scathed his pale skin. Hesitantly, he took hold of the person's hair and lifted his head._

_He froze up. The girl cried even louder._

"_Sasuke-kun!"_

_He couldn't stand to hear her sob anymore, to hear her pain. Releasing the hair, he stood and turned where the weeping came from. Still nothing but pitch black and crimson red adorned the scope. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed another hidden person by their clothing. _

_She appeared in his grasp, tears flowing from her fearful eyes. _

"_Naruto…please…"_

_An evil grin was pasted on his blood covered face. _

"_It's me…Sakura…"_

_He raised his hand, flaring his white claws._

"_Please…wake up…"_

_Naruto froze, confused by her words._

"_Wake up…Naruto…"_

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"Naruto…"

His eyes snapped open, but his vision was blurred. He had little sensation but fright and shock. Breathing rapidly, his irises darted across the room. A figure stood next to him. One color stood out to him, sweet cherry blossom pink, allowing him to easily identify her even in his dazed state.

"S-Sakura…?" he murmured in a scratchy voice. She stroked his hair, sending a chill down his spine.

"Naruto, thank goodness you're awake."

His heart slowed remarkably as everything slowly came into focus. White made up the majority of the color assortment, along with a bit of green smudged in. A soft, warm blanket coated his body. Areas around his chest, hands and legs felt tight where bandages had been wrapped. An IV was attached to his hand, inserting nutrients in his body though his blood stream. His limbs were numb and it was difficult to move them. Now calmer, he glanced over at the female at his side, her green eyes gazing at him intently.

"Sakura…where…am I?"

"You're in the hospital. Kakashi-sensei found you and Sasuke outside the village walls unconscious and took you both here."

"What?"

Naruto shot up, tossing off the blanket in doing so. He looked down, frantically feeling over his chest. He expected red fur, but a green cotton shirt replaced it. He rubbed his cheek, revealing nothing but smooth, human skin. No muzzle was there either. A quick tug at his teeth showed he no longer had fangs. Sakura arched an eyebrow as he continued his frenzied observations.

"Uh…Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked annoyed yet concerned. He ceased his actions immediately. He eyed Sakura nervously, rubbing the back of his neck in pretend embarrassment.

"N-nothing. Nothing, Sakura. What are you doing here?" he countered, trying to shake off any suspicions she might have.

"I was here helping some of the nurses tend to your wounds. You two were beat up badly. It was lucky that Sensei found you at all." Softly, she put her hand on his chest gently nudging him back down. "Now lie down and hold still or you'll open your wounds again."

Naruto complied, sinking back into the crude mattress. It's cushioning aided in relieving him that the full moon was over and it would be another month before _it _happened again. However, the trauma he endured last night was going to linger on for ages.

At first, he found difficulty in recalling much, but with each second more and more of the misplaced memories connected into full thoughts like a simple-minded puzzle. As the puzzle was solved, his heart sank further in his chest until it hit the pit of his stomach. He was disgusted with himself more than anyone else, but Sasuke Uchiha was well up in the rank.

That damn, idiotic, nosey, bastard…

To find him was a feat indeed, and to have lived through the encounter was even twice as impressive. What really interested him was what truly occurred the previous night. He did…something…and that something caused Sasuke to undergo a similar transformation as his. Maybe he didn't do anything, and Sasuke just blamed him for it. Seemed reasonable, considering the kind of guy Sasuke was.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Sakura asked, the silence making her feel uncomfortable.

"A little…sore…but I'm fine."

She took a small cup that sat on the wooden end table next to his bed and put it near his mouth. It was two thirds full with a thick, bright red liquid in it. Naruto winced at its disdainful odor.

"Drink this. It'll ease your pain and help in healing your wounds."

Reluctantly, he let her tip the cup into his mouth. As it slid down his tongue, he grunted at its nauseating taste, but swallowed it anyways. Sakura chuckled warmly, teasing him for the humorous look on his face. He gasped for air, the aftertaste even worse. She promptly offered him a sip of cool water. Naruto welcomed the water without hesitation to wash down the medicine.

"Did you think it would taste like ramen?"

"No, but that was just…disgusting…"

"It's not meant to taste good, it's supposed to help you!" she exclaimed, paying no mind to the volume of her voice. Naruto frowned, down-hearted for being the idiot he was deemed as.

"Sorry…Sakura…"

Noticing his disappointed expression, she too felt dejected. She was only frustrated by her teammates, particularly Naruto.

"No…don't be," she comforted soothingly. "It...hurts me to think…you two could have really died…"

The blonde boy simply stared, exhibiting his full attention to whatever Sakura had to say to him.

"If anything…anything…ever happened to either of you…I…I…" She paused mid-sentence to rub her eyes, wiping them of tears, flipping a piece of her bangs behind her ear. "I just…don't know what I'd do."

The fight to hold back her cries was proven futile. Her tears flooded her cheeks. Guilty for provoking her sobbing, Naruto was compelled to make things right. He struggled to sit back up, turned to her, and set his hand upon her shoulder. In reaction to this, she latched her arms round his bandaged waist in a tight hug. The shirt he wore became stained with her pain.

"_Jeeze girls are weird…first Sakura was smiling…then she got mad…and now…she's crying. I will never understand women," _Naruto thought exasperatedly.

"Sakura, you don't need to worry about me…" he assured her, part of him wanting her to let go, the other wishing her to stay and hold him. He returned her embrace and patted her back, ignoring the pain her grasp caused. "I'm fine, y'know..."

"But when you say that…it makes me worry even more…"

"Then...just don't." He weakly moved his arms and pushed her off of him. Her tear stained expression was sickening to him. "Even if I told you what was wrong…" He averted his gaze and sighed, his voice lowing to a whisper. "…you wouldn't believe me, and...and even if you did, you couldn't do anything about it anyways. So, why should I bother?"

"Because…I'm your friend…aren't I? Why don't you trust me?"

"I can't trust anyone, not anymore. I've lost faith…" Naruto took a deep breath, exhaling in a huff. He nearly snapped and yelled at her. "Don't blame me, or yourself. It wasn't _your_ doing."

Sakura drew back, frightened. Never had she heard Naruto talk like this, so serious and spiteful. He met her gaze unflinchingly, sending her that cold, emotionless stare. Sakura swallowed as her heart cringed.

"Then who? Who are you blaming for this?" she asked, hoping he would answer honestly.

Just as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Another person walked into the chamber, baring a small bouquet of flowers.

Kakashi wore a smile under his mask as he stepped in.

"Well, well. Naruto finally woke up, did he? Am I…" Kakashi raised an eyebrow, noticing Sakura's tear coated face and reddened eyes. "…interrupting anything?"

"N-no…of course not…Kakashi-sensei," Sakura replied, lying in a sense. Rubbing her eyes, she stood up and hid her emotions from her teacher as a sign of respect. "I was just going to check up on Sasuke."

"Very well." He set his flowers on the end table. "Do you mind if I stay to visit with Naruto…in _private_?"

On the inside, Naruto was panicking. He was uneducated of how much Kakashi really knew at this point. It was clear Kakashi was their savior, but when did he find them, how did he, and why? As he asked himself these questions, his heartbeat grew rapid. Terrified, he stared at the back of Kakashi's neck in a trance.

"It isn't a problem."

"Thank you, Sakura."

She nodded and closed the door behind her. Her footsteps echoed as she became further and further from the door until they were nothing but a memory. Naruto jumped as that cold, black eye met his gaze.

"_I don't like that look he's giving me…he's mad…really mad. He must know. He must've seen something…"_

"What on Earth were you thinking, Naruto?" he asked in disappointment. When he didn't answer, Kakashi continued. "Leaving the village without permission or an escort. Do you not realize how dangerous it is out there for you? You could have been killed!"

"I know."

"Then why did you leave?"

"That's none of your business, Sensei."

"It is my business. I'm your teacher and therefore responsible for you and your actions," Kakashi explained sternly. "I myself would have come after you if I wasn't busy...so I sent Sasuke out there to find and stop you in my stead."

Naruto's eyes widened and his body froze. His shock fell into a grimace, shooting a death glare at Kakashi.

"You…" he growled fiercely through clenched teeth. Kakashi ignored him and continued.

"For God's sake Naruto, have you seen his condition? What in the world were you trying to do to him?"

"...Why did you need to spy on me?"

"I needed to find some things out. It seems…I've gathered more credible information than just my theories and guessing, gambling with the truth."

"Mind telling me what you mean?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, holding his stare intact.

"Of course. I meant…I've learned what I needed to…but…I must be sure this information is...reliable," Kakashi said, grasping his headband that covered his left eye. The metal back on his glove tapped the plate.

"Whatever you're thinking, you can forget it," he spat out insidiously.

"Resistance will make it worse for you. If you don't answer to me, you'll have to answer to the ANBU and the Hokage." His hand lifted the headband part way as a warning. Naruto swallowed, determined to hide his terror.

"Wh-what are you talking about…I…I haven't done…anything."

"You're stuttering. You're lying."

"N-no, I'm not!"

He inched away, pressing his back to the headboard. Near tears, he growled, trying to fend him off. Unfortunately, in human form, that manner of intimidation was useless. The jonin's headband was fully lifted now, revealing his second eye, his Sharingan eye. A scar was brandished over it, signifying where he had lost his original eye.

"Why did you try to kill Sasuke last night?" Kakashi queried directly. The question crashed down on Naruto like a boulder. He struggled to hold it up, to ignore it, but in the end, it would crush him.

"I-I…No…I…didn't…I…wouldn't…" he protested, the volume of his voice dropping considerably.

"Then how did Sasuke get injured so severely?"

Naruto remained silent, contemplating his answer. In his head, he could hear the Nine-tailed calling to him at a soft, indecipherable whisper. He had an urge to grin, remembering the wonderful, yet painful feeling he had while tearing that pathetic boy apart. Those screams of his were incomparable to other's. His…blood…

"H-he…made me…angry…" His breathing grew heavy, his every nerve prickled with excitement as every memory attacked him. He clutched his stomach. It wasn't hurting, though. It was to motion to the Fox spirit. "Made _it_…angry…and I…couldn't…s-stop. My control…was thin…and…his blood…his…fear."

Kakashi's eyes widened. With horror? With concern? His student was rambling like a madman, making for quite the shocker. He remained calm as humanly possible.

"Elaborate," he demanded.

"I-I…didn't…mean it…I…would never…hurt him…or anyone…It-it isn't me doing it I-I swear!"

"Naruto, calm down." Kakashi held his hands up in a defensive way. "You don't have a reason to—"

"Please…you have to…believe me…I…" he sobbed, hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?"

"I can explain Kakashi-sensei! It isn't my fault!" It seemed hopeless to him. The only way out of this now was to tell the truth, the whole truth. "The Fox…he… he…makes me kill…he's made me…into a demon…and I…can't…help it."

Confused, Kakashi stepped closer to Naruto who strained away. He understood but one word: Fox. The boy's body quivered, the tears flowing past the whisker marks on his face. Kakashi frowned, trying to show him sympathy.

"Calm down. I won't hurt you." Slowly, he grabbed Naruto's shirt and lifted it. Bandages covered where the seal would be, but a small black marking could be seen on bare skin. Carefully, he removed the fairly bloodied gauze. The skin under it was completely unscathed, healed. However, the discerning factor was the black symbols upon his stomach.

The swirl was disfigured and cracked, in a way to speak, and the kanji symbols surrounding it were also scratched. His eyes grew large. Never had he thought this was possible, considering it was his sensei, the Fourth Hokage, who administered this seal.

"_The seal…it's damaged. Thank heavens that the damage is only mild. Even so, the way the seal has been configured…it's letting too much of the Fox's chakra to enter his system…with that kind of direct access…I suppose I cannot deny that the Fox may have something to do with Naruto's behavior…" _Kakashi stated in the confines of his mind.

"Naruto…" Words were difficult to speak, considering this was a very delicate situation with an equally unstable boy. He lowered his headband over the Sharingan, closing the eye to conserve chakra. "Tell me…what has the Fox done to you?"

Naruto felt cold. It disgusted him to look at that cursed mark on his stomach. Biting his lip, he grabbed the bed sheet and covered the seal so he would no longer have to lay eyes on it. Reluctantly, he agreed to Kakashi's request and retold his story from the beginning, from the very moment the full moon became his worst nightmare.

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Kakashi did his very best to comprehend the stories he was told. It was a strange condition, one he had never heard of other than in folklore. Often, Naruto would have to stop in between sentences to wipe tears or to calm himself down. No doubt did Kakashi believe him, but what exactly caused this to happen in the first place made it hard for him to truly fathom what was wrong with him.

"So…you've been experiencing this…physical change…every time there is a full moon?" Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded numbly, still upset. "And you haven't _told_ anyone?"

"Who would I tell?" he countered. "It's not as easy as you think it is."

"You're right. I'm sorry, but…to have let yourself suffer for so long…"

"I'm not completely helpless. I can take care of this myself."

"You obviously can't, considering you're letting yourself fall under his control so easily. Stubbornness is one thing. Stupidity is another."

"I don't _let_ it happen!" He trembled to tame his wild temper.

"You would have let this curse consume you until you were nothing more or less of a beast." Naruto stared downwards and frowned disappointed. His heart cramped in his chest. The truth really did hurt.

"I'm…sorry…Sensei. I was just…so confused…I didn't know what to do," he said, choking on his words. "I thought…if maybe…I just waited…it would all go away…and…"

"Don't worry, Naruto. I don't blame you at all…but…I am going to have to tell Lady Hokage…"

"No!" he hollered frantically. "No, you can't tell Granny Tsunade. Please, Kakashi-sensei, you just can't."

"She could help you, though. She is one of the few who know the mechanics of the seal in detail."

"I don't care. I don't want her to know…She'd…she'd hate me…"

Kakashi shook his head. "She wouldn't hate you."

"She would too. Please…can't it be kept a secret?"

"I suppose, but…it's risky…I myself couldn't do much to help…let alone stop this from happening all together…"

"Just give me time…I-I can learn to control it."

Kakashi mulled the thoughts over, scratching an itch on his neck. "Well, can't argue I guess…" he mumbled defeated. "If you can keep yourself in check I'll leave you be, but in any case that you can't, I'll have no choice but to report you. Am I clear?"

Slowly, Naruto nodded, agreeing to the terms. In a daze, he stared at the white tiled floor. The heavy burdens of his guilt and lies were finally lifted. It made him feel a lot better, better than he had felt in months. Someone was there for him, there to sympathize, there to help. Why had he rejected it for so long? Why would this serene state of mind be so bad? Perhaps the demon influenced his thoughts more than previously anticipated.

The next few minutes were set aside for more discussion, particularly on the topic of Sasuke. When Naruto explained what happened, the two tried to discover the cause for Sasuke's transformation. Skimming the facts over and over again did them no favor. Something in the sequence of events was overlooked, or possibly missing.

The high detail Naruto could put into description of Sasuke's blood was uncanny, yet chilling. He could portray it's every property, from the texture to its taste, disregarding how mental it sounded. It was so normal to him, but wasn't as normal to Kakashi. Kakashi had to request he didn't speak of it for fear of getting sick.

Moments later, a nurse entered the room, interrupting and ultimately ending their conversation. She stated that Naruto was all well and was allowed to leave whenever he pleased. However, he wasn't quite ready to go yet...

Naruto inquired the nurse if she was aware of Sasuke's current condition. She claimed he had a high fever and a memory lapse, meaning he could recall little if anything at all from the prior night. No other signs of serious injury or broken bones were recorded. A sense of sweet relief rippled through him. It was good to know he couldn't remember, but after all, was that _really_ a good thing?

With that light shed, the IV was removed from his hand, granting him more movement. Just before he left, Kakashi stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder, holding onto it with a soft yet firm tightness. A soft, assuring smile was hidden under the mask. He returned the grin, a foreign, but warm feeling in his chest. He'd felt it once before, but it had been a long time since he last experienced it. Hope. He could believe there was chance that he may one day be normal again.

It was as if true happiness was reborn inside him.

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The day continued on a standard basis, where Naruto did little but get a bite of ramen on his own and train himself in techniques he was struggling with. He never saw Sakura or Kakashi during that time period. Sasuke was also out of sight, but his whereabouts were insignificant to Naruto. His concentration was fixed to his training.

Alone in the forest, he stood before an aged tree, the one he would use to practice the jutsu Jiraiya taught him a while back. Bringing his hands up, he took the middle and index fingers of each hand and held them in a cross. He took a deep breath for good luck and proceeded to preparing the attack.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," he mumbled. As he said that, a single, identical copy of himself stood next to him. He lowered his arm and began to force chakra to his palm. The clone aided him by scratching out the form of a pure circle. A blue, swirling ball formed quickly, storing the intense energy within it. He disabled the clone, and charged toward the tree, barely maintaining the chakra orb in his hand.

"Rasengan!" he cried. Quickly, he shoved it into the bark, creating loud cracking sounds as it tore the wood apart. He shut his eyes to prevent damage to them from the shavings. The jutsu died out and he slowly opened his eyes, anxious to view his work.

A deep hole was punctured into the tree, perfectly round and cut clean. Breathing heavily, he grinned, managing a short laugh. He was getting better, but it was still tiring him out more than it should. He rolled his shoulder to encourage blood flow and return feeling into the arm. It was time to call it a day, as the sun was low in the sky and he was tired beyond belief.

Naruto strolled into the forest towards his home, listening to the wind in the trees. With every gust of wind more brown, dried leaves fell and danced onto the ground with grace. Autumn was Naruto's favorite season. He only enjoyed it for the climate, though. It was too hot during the summer and the spring was too colorful. Winter was fine, but freezing. Thankfully, even during winter, snow rarely fell in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

His ear twitched to a rustle in the trees. It wasn't wind either. His hearing was well enough to distinguish it. Angrily, he glared up at the tree that made the sound. From one of the branches, a boy hung upside-down, returning his grimace with crossed arms. His raven hair was lopsided, dangling down as an effect of gravity. Naruto turned around and continued on, ignoring him like he was nothing.

The boy jumped onto a lower branch of the next closest tree, watching him move on. Sasuke definitely didn't take being ignored well.

"Get back here, loser…" he whispered to himself, leaping through the trees, positioning himself for his next move. As Naruto drew near, he dropped in front of him, his eyes cool and collecting. Naruto stared back with a scowl, jumping up into the tree himself, Sasuke hot on his tail.

"_What the hell does he want?" _Naruto asked himself, trying to escape him. There was something strange about the way Sasuke was pursuing him, though. He wasn't jumping through the trees like normal, but in a way similar to Naruto on all fours. Sasuke's behaviors were obviously already changing, little by little.

The chase lasted for many minutes, and neither was tired out quite yet. Sasuke had nearly gotten to him once or twice, but Naruto cleverly evaded him. Naruto's breathing was growing heavy; he'd have to give up soon. He had always been able to out run Sasuke because his stamina duration was stronger than his, so why couldn't he now?

While taking a quick glance back, Naruto failed to watch where he was going and missed the next branch. He attempted to grab it, but it was futile. He fell to the forest floor, getting scraped by the lower branches and landing on his back. A slight groan emitted from his mouth at the sharp sting. Sasuke landed more gracefully a few meters away from him.

Silently, he approached the body, glaring down at him. He brought his foot onto Naruto's chest, pushing ever slightly as to not break anything, but hard enough to cause him pain. Naruto cried out, clenching his teeth, trying to pry his foot off with his hands.

"Ow, ow! Okay, okay I give, Sasuke!" he shouted at him. He relaxed as the foot was lifted.

"Sorry," he said, watching Naruto stand back up, who was holding his chest. "I wouldn't have had to do that if you just stayed put, loser."

Naruto growled at him. "Think you're funny, huh? Just go away and leave me alone…" he mumbled as he began to walk in the other direction.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Sasuke asked, following him like a dog would its owner.

"Cause I can."

"Well, would you stop? I need to talk to you."

Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke also stopped about a meter behind him. Naruto stared sadly at the ground, sighing.

"If you're wondering about last night…I don't remember either…" he lied, narrowing his eyes, "…so go away."

"You think I don't remember?" Sasuke queried, a short laugh escaping his pale lips, mocking him. Shocked, Naruto's head shot back to him.

"You mean…?" The look in his eyes answered his question flawlessly. "But that nurse said…"

"I lied."

"But why would you lie?"

"Cause…If I told them what happened…that meant I would have to tell them about you." Naruto looked away in shame, knowing perfectly well what he meant. Sasuke came closer. "It's your secret. It's not mine to tell."

"That still doesn't fix what I've done…"

He furrowed his brow, expressing his confusion lightly. "And what exactly _did_ you do to me?" he said more as a statement than a question. Naruto wavered, finding difficulty in answering him.

"E-even I don't know…It just…happened…"

"You must have some idea."

"I guess…when I attacked you…" Naruto stared down at his hand, a picture of it with bloodied claws and fur flashing in his mind. "I passed this…curse… onto you…"

Sasuke remained silent, delved in his own hurt thoughts. A curse? Was it even possible? Of course, fairytales of such things never interested him. Curses were nothing but false, unproven myths. However, with what he experienced the night before…maybe they _were_ real.

After seeing what kind of…thing…Naruto became, he knew he'd never look at him the same way and it was true. To meet his eyes sent chills down his spine. All he could see were those red, murderous ones that could have seasoned shinobi shaking in their sandals. If he was tainted with the same spell, the possibilities of what could become of him were endless. He was deathly frightened of both himself and Naruto.

"A curse, huh…" Sasuke scoffed. "I don't think I believe in curses…"

Naruto scowled at him, taking his statement as an insult rather than a joke. "Well, start believing…'cause it isn't going to go away. It's going to keep coming…eating away at you…until…until you become nothing but…a beast. Ignoring it…is pointless."

"I'm not trying to ignore it. I accept that it's there, but I know nothing about it."

"And you think I do?"

"You've obviously been suffering this for some time. You should know something."

"All I know is that I'm forced to change under a full moon…and…"

"And what?"

"…And now…you will too." He was choking on his words, his pain becoming sorrow and his sorrow becoming tears. He jerked his head away, shielding his face from his rival. To cry in front of him would prove he was the weaker of the two. With a valiant effort, he managed to hold his cries back, but only a slight bit. He still wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry…Sasuke…I…I didn't mean to do it. I'm just…different…in that form. I can't…control myself sometimes."

Sasuke couldn't stand to see people cry. Not because he felt bad for them, but he felt tears were pathetic and degrading, especially when shed by the likes of men. He had the heart to care, but a glare still worked its way onto the Uchiha's face.

"Stop crying, Naruto…it's weak."

Naruto's shoulders shook, the struggle to fight it becoming increasingly difficult. He calmed down, though, just enough to face him directly in the eye again.

"I understand what you mean. Maybe not completely, but I still understand," Sasuke stated, hoping those words would suffice. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is…" Naruto choked out. "I'm the one who brought this on you…turned you into…"

He stopped. What did he change Sasuke into? It certainly was no "werefox" like he was. It was a different creature, but what kind, what breed?

"A werewolf," Sasuke finished for him.

"Werewolf?"

"Sure. What other way would you put it?"

"I…" Naruto rubbed the side of his neck. "I guess…I wouldn't. Werewolf…" He put a finger to his chin, a devilish grin on his face. "I like the sound of that. It's so expected, but edgy! So…daring and majestic!"

Sasuke blinked with surprise, the mood swing catching him off guard. He'd gone from sad and quiet…to…just flat out annoying as he continued to describe the term in many ways.

"_I think I liked him better when he was depressed…"_

"Rrgh…shut up, you loser…"

"Eh…sorry…got caught up in the moment," he apologized. Sasuke sighed with an impassive expression, but then he smiled at him, arms crossed over his chest.

It was unusual how easily the two warmed up to eachother, even after the friction between them. To the naked eye they were the worst of enemies and nearly complete opposites, but to the trained they were the best of friends and a great team. The dead-last and the prodigy. The werekitsune and the werewolf.

Side-by-side, the two companions set off for the village, weaving through the dense trees onto the paved roads. After a good five minutes of walking, Naruto spoke up.

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"Hm."

"Y'know…your blood…"

They looked at eachother from the corners of their eyes, a smirk playing on Naruto's lips.

"It really _does_ taste good…"

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End of Chapter

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	6. Serenade of the Sly Fox

**Chapter 5**

_November 6__th__ – November 8__th_

Serenade of the Sly Fox

A few weeks have passed since that faithful day. Many things have occurred since then, changing the relationships Team Seven had with eachother and with those around them.

Kakashi began to show earlier for team meetings, becoming more concerned about his male students than his over-extended visits to the Memorial Stone. However, Sasuke and Naruto were arriving late, leaving him and Sakura alone to wait for minutes, and occasionally hours. He rarely questioned them for it, but the problem was kept in mind as he watched the two grow closer as friends than ever thought possible.

Sakura was different from her sensei. Now not only Naruto was acting strange, but Sasuke as well. He'd picked up on some of Naruto's behaviors, avoiding questions and talking in riddles and mysterious dialogue. It bothered her, but like Naruto, he'd tell her, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Whenever they could find solitude, Naruto would explain more to Sasuke about what he should expect in the future and what he'd need to learn to survive it. His attentiveness to the short lessons was undividable, as he found the topic oddly interesting and entertaining.

Sasuke managed to handle his alterations of body and mind. A particular craving for meats shadowed over his usual hunger for rice and tomatoes. His sense of hearing and smell were acute and alert to every little thing. Inhuman reflexes, balance and agility were gifted to him as time ticked by. Naruto depicted this all as normal.

Naruto and Iruka met with eachother more often, as he felt no need to hide himself. With the closer bond developed between him and Sasuke, he was comfortable with more "human" contact. Of course, their meetings were set aside for a bowl of ramen and a small chat to share events in their very different lives. Iruka was delighted to hear from him frequently so he wouldn't have to worry so much about the most unpredictable ninja of the village.

However, that wouldn't stop him from being a_ little_ concerned.

As the full moon draws near, the more devious and conniving the two become. It was only a matter of time, before they fell under their curse's power once more. Would chaos ensue with _two _creatures prowling the forest? Would there finally be a full moon under which the village can rest? The answers to these questions and more depend on them: the Fox and the Hound, two brothers of the night.

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Perched in the trees above their meeting spot, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki stared down at their female teammate and sensei. They felt a trifle wicked this particular morning and decided to toy with the two by hiding from them. It was a true feat to conceal oneself, and to be undetected by a jonin, let alone the Copy Ninja himself.

"The full moon is two days from now. Correct?" Sasuke asked. Naruto nodded swiftly. "I'm curious. What will we do when it arrives?"

He tilted his head slightly at the question at hand. Naruto had not once thought of it, but he had a vague idea. Running his fingers through his hair, he gazed at the two below them with quiet intensity. The woman of his dreams and the man among the many he envied as idols and trainers. His heart skipped a beat and his stomach lurched with an emotion he seldom felt for someone he held so dear.

Hatred.

"Tell me, Sasuke…" Naruto said, changing the subject. "Do you remember what having family was like?"

Sasuke looked away, obviously disturbed and uncomfortable with such an inquiry. However, he agreed with himself to answer truthfully. "Family…it's like…a home…a…group of people…in which you have common blood that bonds you all. Those bonds…gave you a sense…of belonging. It's a hard feeling to describe…Naruto."

"Would you ever want to feel it again?"

"Perhaps. Might be nice…" Skeptically, Sasuke eyed him. "Just what are you getting at?"

The slight smile on Naruto's face curled into a foxy grin.

"What if we could have family?" he queried, gaining no answer from Sasuke. He continued. "What if you could feel that feeling again? Would you do anything for it?"

"I don't know…"

"Look at them, Sasuke." Naruto silently jumped to Sasuke's branch, putting his hand on his head and directing it towards Kakashi and Sakura. "They're so vulnerable, so weak."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because…they are human…and we are not."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his lips lightly parted with his bemusement.

"…but…_we_ can fix that. _We _can show them what true existence really is. _We_ can share our gifts."

"_Gifts? Since when did Naruto start calling it a gift?" _Sasuke wondered, a sickening feeling starting to rise in his throat.

"All we gotta do…is sink our teeth into their flesh…simple as that," Naruto whispered sadistically. The Uchiha fully understood him now, but did not completely agree. However, the deep recesses of his mind burned mad with delightful thoughts of screams of terror and howls of triumph. His own crazed grin took over his face, letting go of his human reason.

"You have a demented way of putting things…" he stated to him blankly. He laughed a little. "I like that in a guy."

"Thanks," Naruto replied. He noticed Sakura was really starting to get upset about their absence. He sighed in vex. "C'mon. Guess we shouldn't make them wait any longer."

"Right."

They dropped from the trees simultaneously and approached their waiting team, never speaking of their conversation to either of them.

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Their day turned out as nothing special. Team Seven did a short C ranked mission to Tanzaku Town to pick up a few crates of goods ordered by a Leaf merchant. There were no complications and they all came out unscathed. Kakashi dismissed them promptly, letting them roam where their minds fancied. Sakura wanted to follow the two boys, but they insisted she go home and rest. They didn't need the humans around when they had so much to discuss.

They remained silent for the most part. Searching for a place of solitude, they slipped into the forest undetected. A second check confirmed they were alone. They sat across from eachother and got comfortable.

"This is your idea…so how will we do this?" Sasuke inquired, idly crushing dried leaves and watching their remains fall. Naruto breathed evenly, closing his eyes to think.

"Dunno. It's not gonna be easy, though."

"We're gonna need a plan. Take a practical approach. Exploit their weaknesses. Use logic and our intellectual prowess to overpower them."

Naruto scratched his head, slightly puzzled. Too many big words…

"Lure them into a trap…?" he elaborated for him.

"Oh! I got you," he chuckled at himself. "Sounds like a good idea…What kind of trap?"

"Like I said before: we need to exploit their weaknesses. Every human being has one, so we need to identify theirs."

A cackle escaped Naruto's throat. He forced his lips shut, muffling the laughter behind them. A sly grin appeared in its stead.

"That's easy. Kakashi-sensei falls head-over-heels for perverted books…like the Icha Icha series Pervy Sage writes," he stated, boasting his knowledge to Sasuke. The Uchiha nodded, agreeing fully to the proclamation.

"And then Sakura?" This question caused Naruto to laugh again, quieter. Why were the clearest things floating over his head?

"Isn't it obvious?" A devious look flashed in his eyes as he stared in Sasuke's direction. He coughed a little to clear his throat. In a high pitched, imitated voice, Naruto hinted him. "Sasuke! Oh, Sasuke! You're so amazing Sasuke! Don't you dare hurt my Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't know what was creepier: the fact that he said it or the fact that he said it exactly like Sakura. Sakura's vulnerability, no doubt, was he himself. Naruto burst out laughing at his rival, the concept not nearly as amusing as the look of aggravation on his face. His eyebrow twitched slightly, boiling anger and annoyance exploding within him. Sighing, he calmed himself down a notch.

"C'mon…lets get focused again…it's not_ that_ funny."

"O-okay. F-focus…" Naruto managed, his laughter dying down to nothing.

"We know what we need to use. Now it is all a matter of knowing _how_ to use it against them," Sasuke declared. The blonde nodded to him in response.

"You leave Kakashi-sensei to me. Sakura's _all_ yours."

"Lovely…"

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They had no contact with one another the following day, giving them adequate time to plot their operation. Each of them had their own individual to deal with. If the procedure was to work, they'd have to devise their own unique tactics. They'd have to be deceitful…persuasive…cunning…like a fox. Each of them realized these things as they designed their approach.

Sasuke's Sharingan would be a valuable tool for him to use against Sakura. He had long since learned to use a few basic genjutsu and hypnosis techniques involving his clan's bloodline. However, he may not have to use it for that purpose if all went as he planned. The advantage he had over her was powerful enough to spellbind her with his enviable charm. One soft touch and a few sweet words was all it would take.

Though lacking such ability, Naruto had his own strategy to use against Kakashi. His direct access to Jiraiya, the author of Icha Icha Paradise, benefited him, but he was unsure if he had written anything new. That would catch his sensei's attention, no doubt. With that in mind, he paid Jiraiya a visit, interrupting another of his bath-house excursions. He was complained at accordingly.

Naruto spared the small talk and got straight to the point. Leaving out his purpose, he requested a copy of his newest book. When questioned why, he claimed Kakashi's birthday was soon; he merely wanted to surprise him with it. To his misfortune, the new story of the Icha Icha series was not completed and could not be handed out. All he got was the title (Icha Icha Haven) and the artwork that might show up on the cover, giving him a lack of information.

Jiraiya's skeptical looks worried Naruto. He never said anything, but he was certainly suspicious about something. As Naruto walked away, he'd constantly glance back at Jiraiya, scared and doubtful. It wasn't bad for Kakashi to be distrustful, but when Pervy Sage got into the circle, everything got that much more complicated. Naruto only hoped he would mind his own business and stay out of all this commotion.

A few elements in the design of this plan were still very flawed. The most clear and disturbing problem: they see through the deception. To underestimate them as inferior was a mistake neither was prepared to make. Sakura was smart, had a good eye, and was practically immune to cheap tricks and genjutsu. Kakashi was a jonin, an elite ninja, not the kind of person a mere genin could overpower with bribery.

But…to underestimate Sasuke and Naruto…was also a big mistake.

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The day finally arrived.

Sasuke lacked confidence in his ability to endure the horror the night would hold, regardless that Naruto continuously told him it would be fine. It was difficult to believe what he said, or to know what he meant. Even those with the most advanced analytical skills couldn't decipher it behind that scheming grin. Questioning his friend's sanity, Sasuke avoided those kinds of discussions.

They sat on a bench, casually watching villagers walk by. None of them ever noticed they were there, but who would notice them? They were orphaned children. Without family surrounding them, they were outcasts, unworthy of even a glance. In hopes to change that, their hearts were set on nothing but the passing of time. They were dreadfully impatient as they awaited the quilt of night to cover them and transform their bodies into not a man nor a beast, but a glorious union of both.

"When is sunset?" Sasuke asked, staring at a clock across the way.

"I'd say around nine," Naruto's plain voice responded. "You ready?"

"Hardly. There's still too much that could go wrong. Are you?"

"Not really." An arrogant smile was plastered on his face. "Don't worry 'bout it. Just go with your instincts and you'll be fine."

Sasuke nodded, hesitating to do so. Their heads shot in the direction of the clock as it chimed in seven times. Ready or not, they had to start now or failure was imminent. Together, they stood, glaring outwards at the crowd of people.

"Follow me," Sasuke muttered, speeding off with Naruto next to him. "I've got an idea."

The blonde boy smirked as he was drug through the village. They stopped near a wall bordering a small division. A red and white symbol in the shape of a ball on a stick was painted on its peach, stony surface. The paint, however, was weary and scratched. Sasuke gently touched the symbol. The surface was cold to his warm flesh. It had been many months since he'd come near the abandoned Uchiha compound and the feeling it gave him was blissful, yet hateful.

"We can take them here. There's plenty empty buildings to trap them in," he said quietly. "No one comes around here anymore…so no one would hear."

"This is where your clan used to live, isnt it."

He nodded numbly, choking on his hidden emotions. Naruto wanted to show sympathy, but Sasuke wouldn't need or want it.

"Just pick one out for us to use."

He jumped over the wall with Sasuke. This was the first time Naruto had ever seen this place. Everywhere he looked, the Uchiha symbol was the thing that stood out to him. He felt sick, seeing a splash of dried blood on a building, a spot where they had missed during the "clean up" all those years ago. To think this place was once full of Sasuke's family members was almost insane, considering how deserted it was. His friend forged foreward, leaving him to sight-see. Naruto dashed after him.

They chose a simple one room house to accommodate them. There was a beautiful view of the sky from the window, perfect to frame the full moon with. Each of them took a key to the door so they could get in and lock it quickly. Since they didn't know who would get back first, this precaution was necessary. With short good-byes, they went their separate ways.

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Sasuke proceeded to Sakura's house. An unfamiliar sensation pricked his nerves as the sun fell in the sky. His chakra was thrashing wildly in the stream as if it wanted to escape. He stared down at himself, knowing that this body would soon be a distant memory. It was a strange thing to think about.

At locating her home, he stepped onto the doorstep. He took a deep breath for good luck, and knocked on the door lightly. As he anticipated, Sakura answered, a puzzled look on her soft feminine features. Sasuke gave off a small smirk.

"Sasuke? What're you doing here?" she queried, raising an eyebrow. She noticed the skies were getting awfully dark and Sasuke's expression was equally dark. The smile did not hide it.

"I was just…in the neighborhood…and I thought…maybe you'd like to take a walk…" he mumbled out to her at a loss of words to speak. "…with me?"

She was silenced. Sasuke asking her to go on a walk? This has happened many times before. It was never genuine, but a trick by another sick ninja who was looking for kicks. Finding it difficult to register what was happening, Sakura drew back frightened. That sweet smile of his disappeared under a frown. She wanted it back, so badly. Sasuke looked away from her, sighing, playing hurt.

"Kay, I get it. You don't want to. See you later…" He turned back around with his eyes closed. Sakura contemplated over the situation. Maybe this wasn't a genjutsu. Maybe it was real. What if this really was Sasuke asking her to spend time with him? Was it a chance she should take?

"Wait!" she cried out to him. He stopped in his tracks, a grin working onto his lips. Wiping it off, he glanced over his shoulder. Sakura ran to him, worried. She clasped her hands together, holding them to her chest defensively. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I didn't mean that. It's just…this is…so sudden"

"I understand. You coming with or not?"

"Of course I will, Sasuke-kun."

That gentle, admirable smile returned. He looked up at her, the soft orange light of the sunset reflecting off his onyx irises. His smooth skin glowed and his black hair shined. Her heartbeat sped, enchanted by his gaze. A light blush flared on her cheeks. As she followed him at his side, she'd completely forgotten to tell her mother where she was going. It mattered so little to her now.

"So…where are we going, Sasuke-kun?" she asked in timid voice.

"You'll see."

Upon arriving at the gates of the Uchiha compound, he led her inside and to the house. There were no fresh footprints in the dirt, so obviously Naruto was still on the hunt for Kakashi. He prayed he would come soon, as the sun was nearly gone. He opened the door, gestured her inside, and then shut it behind him. Sakura seemed disappointed that it was empty, her eyes scanning over the crude wood floors and walls.

"Sasuke-kun…there's nothing here…"

"Does it matter?"

She heard the sound of a door locking, startling her. Shooting her head in Sasuke's direction, she found a silver key in his hand. He placed it in a pocket, grinning devilishly. Her eyes widened and she swallowed a lump in her throat, clearly terrified.

"Wh-why did you…lock it…Sasuke-kun?" she stuttered, trembling ever slightly. He came near and she took a step back. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to him, wrapping his other arm around her slim waist. She didn't attempt to escape him, but stared enviously into his eyes.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered soothingly, stroking her hair with butterfly delicacy. He put his mouth to her ear, feeling her shiver in his grasp. "It will all be clear soon…when the magic begins."

He lifted her chin with a finger. Leaning in closer, their noses were only a centimeter apart. Sakura blinked, shocked and captivated. He willed his lips to meet hers, going against what his inner voices commanded. This would be the final lock to prevent her escape.

She took a quick breath through her nose, a tingle running down her spine. A kiss, her first real kiss from the very boy she wanted it from since her youth. Sakura was unsure if she should push herself away or let him force this wonderful feeling upon her. Never had Sasuke acted so tenderly towards her...Was this really him or an imposter?

Whoever it was…he was a great kisser. A soft moan formed in the back of her throat as she fell into the kiss. She closed her eyes and grasped his shirt.

Sasuke was not particularly enjoying it, but she certainly was. He had to admit, the taste of her cherry lip gloss was lovely enough to make up for his pain and guilt. He held onto the back of her blossom pink hair. All he had to do was keep the act up long enough for the full moon to arrive.

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Naruto darted through the forest, making his way towards the only place Kakashi would be at this time: the Memorial Stone. He had forty minutes at best to lure him in, so he had to be quick. Laughter was softened behind his lips. The very thought of getting what he's always wanted after so long was entertaining, exhilarating.

As expected, his sensei was standing before a black, polished stone, hundreds, maybe thousands of names carved into its surface. Among those names were Kakashi's closest friends, all of which have been killed in the line of duty, serving and representing the Hidden Leaf Village. Even the coldest of hearts could show compassion to a man who dedicated so much of his time to respecting the dead.

His reminiscence of good and bad times was interrupted by footsteps behind him. He lifted his head, but didn't look back. By the chakra signature, he could tell who it was. An exasperated frown was under his blue mask. Why must he be bothered now of all times and by him?

"What do you want, Naruto?" he asked, hearing a soft cackle come from him.

"Aw, nothing…I was just going to give you something…but…" Out of a pocket on the inside of his jacket, he pulled out a light blue book. The title read 'Icha Icha Haven' and a picture of a man and woman floating on a cloud was portrayed. "If you want to be like that…"

Kakashi turned around to make eye contact with Naruto. His eye widened considerably. On impulse, he sped to his student, staring intently at the book, but not touching it. It was an honest to God copy of the next Icha Icha installment. His hand trembled as he reached for it, tempted to pinch himself in case he was dreaming.

"Wh-wh…where did you get that?!" he said, struggling to control the hysteria in his tone. Naruto twirled the book in his hands, observing the front and back absentmindedly.

"Eh, Pervy-Sage gave it to me. Don't know why. He knows I hate this kind of stuff." Kakashi made an attempt to grab the book, but Naruto swiped it away. He laughed again, but didn't try to hide it this time.

"This book isn't scheduled to come out for another two months…Uh, Naruto…hehe…" Reaching for the book again, he chuckled a bit. It was hard to keep his cool in the presence of a pure work of art such as Icha Icha. "If it isn't too much trouble…could I maybe…borrow it?"

"I dunno…" Naruto rubbed his chin with his free hand, toying with him. Grinning, he put the book back into his jacket. He jumped into a nearby tree, childishly sticking his tongue out at his sensei. "I'll give it to you…only if you follow me…"

Before he could respond, Naruto leapt from branch to branch. The jonin was hot on his tail, quite annoyed. He glared at his back, his laughter like venom to his ears. Whatever kind of sick game he was playing, Kakashi was not entertained. There was some hidden, ambiguous purpose to this, but his focus had been drawn away by the book.

So much…that he had forgotten what night it was…

"C'mon, you gotta move faster, Sensei!" he teased, going a notch faster. Kakashi growled at his arrogant smile, catching up to him again.

"Quit playing games, Naruto," he demanded in an angry tone, following his stride. "I don't have time for this."

"Hn. Then go back if you don't want the book…"

Kakashi immediately stopped talking. He _did _want the book after all…

Another minute or two passed and they were closing in on the building. It was surprising Kakashi hadn't seen past this trick, considering he stated the quote: "A ninja must see through deception". Guess even the greatest of the great have their downfalls. An eerie darkness was beginning to spread on the sky as the sun slipped behind the Hokage Monument. Not too much longer now.

"_This is ridiculous. He's up to something…"_ Kakashi thought as he jumped over a tall wall. A devious smile crossed Naruto's lips as he looked back at him. It nerved him, but nothing would get in the way of him and that book.

Naruto took an abrupt turn, stepping onto the doorstep of the house. Frantically he searched his pockets for the key, his sensei closing in on him quickly. Once found, he lodged it in the keyhole, turned it and opened the door, dashing inside. What he found was quite the sight to behold. He smirked, a short laugh escaping his throat as Kakashi came in behind him. He was breathing quite heavily, immediately noticing a strange event occurring…

Sasuke holding Sakura in an intimate hug, their lips locked.

"Oh…my…" Kakashi muttered, scratching the side of his head, catching their attention. They pulled apart quickly, smiling embarrassed. Sakura's cheeks flared with a furious blush. "So…this is what you wanted me to see…fine…"

"Uh…yeah…whatever you say, Sensei," Naruto replied, improvising a little.

"All right, game's up. Hand the book over. You're too young to read it anyways."

He sighed, grasping the book and handing it to him. Vigorously, Kakashi snatched it out of his hands, opening it to the first page. His eye scanned it as he snickered to himself, his own blush forming. Sasuke and Naruto grinned to eachother, speaking figuratively through their own sort of telepathy.

"_He's going to flip when he figures out it isn't real."_

"_I know."_

Quickly, Naruto returned to the door. Sakura stared at him, but her attention was steered away by Sasuke's caress to her cheek. She couldn't help but be immobilized by it. He took the key, relocked the door, but also utilized his chakra to create a secondary lock and sealed it to make it impossible to knock the door down. Hoping it would be just enough to prevent their escape, he patiently awaited the final phase to begin after such a long wait.

Constantly, Kakashi read over the first paragraph. There was something about it he found so…familiar…

_A story of passion is seldom heard, of what love truly is. Fairytales and fantasy mean nothing to us who walk among reality and true emotions. Between arguments and sweet love lives, characters in life hardly ever succeed as often as those in fiction. Junko, a young, ambitious businessman, and his mystery sweetheart suffer these and much more struggles of existence…_

"_That's…odd…that's the first paragraph in the original Icha Icha. That can't be right…"_

"Wait a minute…" he mumbled to Naruto, turning to him, glaring. "This isn't a new book is it?"

Quiet cackling came from Naruto's direction. It was so difficult to control this unnecessary laughter as it increased in volume and wildness, growing into a psychotic, evil laugh. All but Sasuke were stricken with horror.

"Duh! Like you said! That book doesn't come out for another two _months_!"

The transformation jutsu was torn down, revealing the true book cover. Startled, Kakashi dropped the now orange novel on the ground. It didn't make any sense. He narrowed his eye at the blonde, appalled by his smile.

"Then why would you…?" A bright light in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It wasn't completely there yet, but it was slowly rising into the dark, star-filled sky. His heart rate jumped at least ten levels. Fearfully, he realized what was happening here. He and Sakura were in terrible, terrible danger.

"Sakura! We have to get out of here!" he shouted to her. Sakura's head shot towards him, confusion in her charming green eyes. She held a fist up to her chest, in which her heart was pounding against.

"Wh-why?" she asked, still within Sasuke's grasp. Slipping out of it, she approached her sensei.

"Just do as I say and find a way out of here! It's not safe."

Noting her loyalty to Kakashi, Sasuke pushed her to the nearest wall, pinning her by her shoulders. A horrified whine slipped past her slightly parted sweet lips. Grinning evilly, his black eyes shifted to deep red, three comma-like symbols surrounding the pupil.

"Aw…Sakura…you sure you want to leave…quite yet?" he said in a passionate, beseeching tone. He stroked her cheek gently. "I told you there would be magic. Don't you want to stay…to see it?"

"Don't listen to him, Sakura! Get out now!"

Locking their eyes, Sasuke prepped the Sharingan's hypnosis jutsu. The tomoes swirled, entrancing her with no resistance. Her eyelids drooped and her pupils dilated. She felt so lightheaded and her vision was distorted. Unable to answer, she leaned onto the wall, having trouble balancing herself. He was incapable of using this for long, as once he's changed, the Sharingan would be ineffective.

Kakashi found himself in a stare-down with his younger student, who was removing his orange jacket and tossing it aside, leaving him in a plain black shirt and his pants. His headband came off next. He was unworthy to bare it when in the form that once threatened its representation. The rest of his important items (such as his kunai pouch) were removed last.

Preparing for the worst, his single Sharingan eye was uncovered, constantly glancing from the window to the door. Kakashi made a break for the exit. If he could get out, he could get help for Sakura. Alone, he was unsure if he could handle them. Naruto showed no response to his actions. He fiddled with the door knob, finding it locked as he predicted. He rammed his body to it, but it wouldn't budge. He was shut in tight. He turned back to the window. The full moon was nearing the right height in the sky to affect his apprentices.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?" he asked sternly. Naruto's smug look remained.

"Hn. You're a fool, Sensei. All we want is to share in the glory…"

"Glory of what?"

A rush of energy swelled inside of him. His nerves prickled, making his skin crawl. His eyes faded from bright blue to red, the pupils thinning out into mere slits. He held his stomach as it gave a lurch and he groaned. Gut-churning pain started on his limbs, but it was ignorable under his ecstasy. The wonderful feeling had returned and he was in no hurry to fight it. He managed one final statement before falling into the arms of his curse.

"The glory…" His voice had changed dramatically to a chilling, demonic voice. Fangs grew in his mouth, overlapping his parted lips. Kakashi took a step backwards, his hand nearing his weapon pouch. "…of the night."

Naruto fell to his hands and knees, grinning silently to the floor, embracing the change. Kakashi stared down on him, a strange combination of grief and fascination washing over him. He knew he should have told someone. He knew very well that a mere fourteen-year-old child could not combat a demon. It was his damn dedication to his promises that dominated his common sense.

His student's blonde hair darkened at the root, spreading like a wave. Human nails lengthened into black, pearly claws. Naruto growled like an animal, releasing a bit of the swelling thrills burning his insides. Watching him slip away from his humanity caused Kakashi distress.

Glancing over to Sasuke, Kakashi could tell he was breathing heavily. There were no noticeable changes, as his back was to him, but his hair seemed to become wilder and un-groomed. His shoulders shook and a frail moan of pain came from his direction. He was dreadfully worried, but he had no time to care about the two who got them into this predicament.

Sakura gazed longingly at Sasuke, the daze slowly wearing off. The redness in his eyes died out as a glowing yellow replaced it. His breaths were loud, an ominous hiss about them. A groan of pain slipped past his lips, worrying Sakura. She blinked to regain her vision. At her first sight, her dread was only intensified.

"Sakura…you seem…tense…" he rasped out in a deeper, darker tone, flaring his fangs to her. Dark talons ripped from his fingers, tearing her shirt and skin on accident. Viewing the claws from the corner of her eye, she desired to scream in terror. Nothing would escape. Instead, she struggled for her freedom. A moment ago all she wanted was to be near him, but now…she wanted to be as far away as possible.

Her wish was granted as he pushed himself away, stumbling on longer, deformed feet. He landed on all fours, growling at the fierce, but pleasurable pain. Naruto spoke of a feeling of bliss during the change, but he'd never expected this. He'd never felt so wonderful in all his life. He couldn't help but giggle at it, breathing deep to calm down. He smiled up at Sakura.

"Soon…you will feel this too…Sakura."

Cracks and pops filled the air as their forms twisted in ways humanly impossible. To remove _all _of their clothes would have been an intelligent thing to do, but it was too late now. Every piece of clothing they wore tore off their bodies, but with the growth of fur, it hardly mattered. Thick, black fur grew on Sasuke's spine and spread, encroaching his pale skin. The rusty, orange-red fur of the fox swept over Naruto's skin. Their muscle became sore as it was stretched under their skin into muscle that would take human men months to gain through training.

Energy pulses coursing through their veins got stronger and stronger. Tension formed at the base of Naruto's spine. He cried out, as did Sasuke. A single, furry tail extended from the base of the Uchiha's spine, while Naruto had to endure more agony. Longer, more flexible tails swayed behind him, nine of them, representing the very demon who gave them this so generously.

The two hid their faces unintentionally behind their furred arms, attempting to endure the finalization to their beast forms. Naruto clenched his teeth and clawed his skin while Sasuke simply held his throbbing head. Longer, pointed ears slipped through the locks of their hair, twitching to every little sound. Naruto's were considerably longer.

Sasuke's headband fell off with a clank, becoming an incorrect fit for him. He felt his face push out and stretch, ruining his human features. His nose turned black and moistened at the tip. The fangs he'd gained previously grew longer to overlap his purplish gums. The teeth that remained enlarged to fit in his muzzle, sharpening considerably as everything finally came into proportion. He snarled, his body trembling as he stiffened his stance on the ground.

He tossed his head up and howled on a mysterious, but loveable instinct. The fox creature beside him did nothing but roar, sparing no sweet, mournful cries. Mortified, Sakura shuddered, frozen by his chilling bay to the moon. Kakashi kept a calm, diligent expression. He had to be strong, for both their sakes.

A light chuckle slipped past Naruto's muzzle as he eyed Sasuke. He was shivering and the fur on his spine was standing on end. His tail swayed slowly. Naruto rose to his feet, the claws clicking against the surface.

"You cold?" he joked to the black wolf. Sasuke laughed at him in a bitter, beastly voice.

"'Course not. Can't you see the fur, fox boy?" he growled, the nickname used to only toy with him.

"It blends so well with the darkness…" Naruto prowled closer to his sensei, licking his pearly fangs. His tails fanned his sweaty back, cooling him down. "Now…"

On reflex, Kakashi took hold of a kunai, holding it defensively. "Don't make another move."

Tilting his head at the demand, he continued his pace. Kakashi held the knife tighter and closer to feel safe. He'd never admit it, but fear engulfed him like dark waters in the ocean. Lacking experience with creatures such as these, he felt he may not be able to handle them.

"You're not listening to me, Naruto."

One of his ears drooped, lacking effort to stand tall like the other. It was a habit he'd picked up whenever he was curious, or scheming. A friendly, but sickening smile crept onto his face.

"Don't fret, Sensei," he assured, standing on his hind legs, his full height passing his teacher's by at least three inches. "Maybe I'd listen if you spoke in…_my_ language."

"Naruto…don't make me do this," he threatened, prepared to do what he must to protect Sakura, but he was as helpless as she was. "Just calm down, please. Be reasonable!"

"Why? I'm not doing anything _wrong_…I'm only doing you a _favor_…"

"Acting like an uncivilized beast is hardly a favor," he spat out, glaring at the bipedal fox. "I don't want to hurt you, Naruto…"

"And neither do I…" Naruto pounced him, his claws deep within Kakashi's flesh. The blood stained his clothes deep red that seemed black in the current lighting. "…but…one must suffer…to feel the true beauty of this curse."

To cover his terror, he scowled. The Fox's breath was fowl smelling, barely filtered through his mask. The more he looked into his eyes, the worse it made him feel. He was weak compared to this monstrosity. Sighing in defeat, he dropped the kunai.

Sakura's focus was drawn completely to Sasuke. He growled and loomed towards her, showing his teeth with a grin. In sync with his steps, she stepped backwards. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tripped backwards onto her rear. She was nearing the corner. The terror froze her blood to the point no messages were reaching her.

"What's a-matter, Sakura?" the wolf asked. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You scared?"

"N-no…no," she murmured, unconvincing to both her and the creature. She should have been running away, crying for help. There was just something in him under the beast that invited her, called to her, needed her.

"Don't be." She tensed up as Sasuke circled her once, brushing his tail against her face. The fur was soft against her cheek, and she was tempted to pet the tail just to test its silkiness. He stood behind her frozen body, a passionate glint flaring in his piercing yellow eyes.

"It won't hurt…" He put his muzzle directly next to her ear, his hot breath warming her body. He lowered his voice to a mere whisper. "…for long."

Sakura's eyes widened. He barked, clamping his jaws onto her shoulder, tearing through her feeble clothing and skin. Blood splashed into his mouth and on his face.

She screamed so loud, it dwindled all other sound to mute.

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End of Chapter

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	7. Truly a Monster

**Chapter 6**

_November 8__th_

Truly a Monster

At hearing her deafening scream, both Naruto's and Kakashi's heads shot in its direction. The fox grinned. Kakashi was not as amused.

"Sakura!" he shouted, frantically reaching for her with his arm. He was held back by the bulk of the red beast. Struggling in his grasp, he managed to wrestle himself free, his shoulders in excruciating pain.

As Sasuke released the bite, he licked the fur on his face, savoring every drop of her blood he could. Her hand shot up to the wound, staining her skin with red. The scream died down to quiet groans. Tears of pain trickled down her cheeks. Her heart ached as it beat within her chest, both physically and emotionally.

Kakashi ran to her, only to be ambushed by the wolf. He growled threateningly, baring his fangs and claws as an act to defend the victim. His ears drew back in anger and his fur bristled. Kakashi glared insidiously. Resorting to violence, he delivered a strong kick to Sasuke's side. He yelped and slid on the wood floor until his back hit the wall.

Post-haste, Kakashi kneeled down at her side. Her face was scrunched, trying her best to endure the dreadful pain Kakashi imagined she was feeling. In moments time he would loose her as he had lost his male students. It was a horrible thought to bear.

He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head, observing her for any sort of deformation. Nothing of the sort existed; it would be some time before this disease really afflicted her. Weakly, she opened her eyes, tears spilling from them. His heart felt saddened and enraged. The color of her irises was now transformed into bright, acid green.

"S-Sensei…?" she whispered hoarsely. She desperately hoped he was there to make all the pain go away. Dejected, Kakashi sighed silently, removing his hand.

"_It's too late for her. There is no way to reverse it," _he thought, solemnly turning his head away. To endure watching the change again would be foolhardy. It disgusted him to know it was someone he taught who put this suffering upon her.

His gaze met Sasuke, who had yet to recover from the attack. Then he glanced upon Naruto. An intimidating sneer was upon his muzzle as he dropped to all fours, his tails swishing violently. Anger corrupted Naruto's delicate mind. Nobody, nobody threw Sasuke aside like trash and got away with it.

Prowling towards his sensei, he snarled. "Get up, Sasuke," he commanded. The black wolf staggered to his feet with difficulty. He growled also, flames lighting in his lupine yellow eyes. "Let's teach Sensei a lesson about _who_ he's dealing with…"

"_They've lost their minds," _Kakashi shouted in his mind. He took one final glance back on Sakura, whose physical transformation was commencing. The dark claws and tan fur were clearly drawn on her.

"You…you're despicable…both of you!" he scolded, angering them more. The fox leapt towards him, jaws wide open. Scarcely dodging that, Kakashi had no time to avoid Sasuke and was brought to the ground. He snapped his teeth, but missed him by chance of luck. Shoving him off, he returned to his feet in relief.

This relief was short lived as both charged at him. Standing his ground, he waited for them to draw near. Just before they landed their hit, he jumped over them, using Naruto's head as a kick spring and sent the unsuspecting fox to the floor.

His eyes strayed to Sakura. A sorrowful pang in his stomach made him swallow. Her eyes were open wide with fear, her small, red dress was tearing, and her cries were harsh and animal-like. Kakashi felt terrible, weak. He hadn't been strong enough to save her, and he greatly doubted his ability to save himself.

Cleverly dodging the creatures once more, he took out a set of shuriken stars, holding four in each hand. Just before throwing them, he froze. Behind those menacing and hungry stares, there was still a glint of their human forms. Animal or not, they were Sasuke and Naruto, his students, his teammates. He couldn't resolve to hurt them, let alone kill them. He dropped the weapons, the metal clinging against the floor.

Sakura trembled, coughing up a gob of blood. The sudden pain was one thing, but everything else was twice as bizarre. Her bones were painfully stretched within her and a prickling itch groped her skin; it only hurt more to scratch at it. She couldn't help but scream, her voice sounding utterly foreign to her ears.

After fighting a valiant battle, Kakashi was soon forced into a corner as had happened with his other student. Sweat lined his brow and his energy was dwindling to nothing. The Sharingan's presence was also afflicting his capability to fight back. He was too cowardly to use lethal tactics against them, forcing him to waste all his energy on meaningless avoidance. Giving up, he collapsed to his knees and stared at the ground.

"_I can't go on like this. If I can't kill them, I can't fight them," _he admitted.

Sasuke edged away to return to Sakura. A strange calling compelled him to be at her side to help her endure the pain he once had to feel. Leaving Naruto to handle their broken sensei, he paced to her slowly and hesitantly. His keen eye knew her wolf form was nearly complete. All he could do now was watch her beautiful human body be torn away from her against her will.

And he was the one who stole it all from her: her life, her humanity. Saddened, he looked down. She would never forgive him, or want to speak to him again.

A long, bushy tail swished behind her. Every bit of her clothing was torn to scrap now, surrounding her brown furred body. Her pink hair shifted to dark brown and her pointed ears migrated up her temples to the top of her head. She flared her fangs as if about to scream, but little sound came out. The crescendo of the transformation had finally been reached. Her face deformed into a wolf muzzle, the sound of bones crunching painful to listen to.

Grief overwhelmed Sasuke as she cried a high-pitched howl, tears dripping through her fur. Her pain expressed through such an angelic song caught the attention of each patron in the building. Kakashi's spine shivered with fear. She was human no more, but a monster created by the greed and hatred of his students.

Sakura plummeted foreward, panting deeply. Sweet relief was all that mattered to her. The cold, wooden flooring diminished her fever and the ache disappeared along with it. Her heart rate returned to normal.

Kakashi remained on spot, ready for the worst as the nine-tailed fox drew nearer and nearer. Staring Naruto directly in the eye, he showed he was not afraid of his imminent fate. To accept it would be absurd, but there was no way out of it now.

Naruto roared ferociously, leaping at the jonin. Holding him down with his claws, he flung his muzzle over the left arm, sinking his teeth into the flesh. Kakashi shouted at the sharp pain. The creature growled, his claws delving deeper into the skin. It wasn't his blood that drew him in. Unlike Sasuke, he felt no remorse for biting him. He deserved to suffer for acting like he knew his pain, acting like he knew everything when he in reality knew nothing.

Heart pounding in his chest, Kakashi bent over on hands and knees as he was released. The bleeding was the least of his worries; the wounds were burning away, and an ominous hiss accompanied it. To calm down, he breathed evenly and kept his eyes shut. He had to stay sane and think. Regarding he knew so little of what would happen to his mind in this process made everything more complicated; he would have to cope with it.

"_Keep your nerve, Kakashi…" _he demanded himself, groaning in anguish as waves of heat and intense energy swept through him. _"Think…what will happen first…"_

Fearfully, his gaze shot downwards, all predictions proven true. His nails lengthened and turned darker, becoming curled claws. Silver strands of hair prickled out of his skin. The taste of blood caressed his tongue, his gums bleeding from the formation of fangs. His feet slipped out of his blue sandals, reforming to suit the animal he was to become. The change was happening rapidly and no matter how much he fought or endured the pain, it continued.

Naruto only glared with hatred. Maybe now he would understand.

Kakashi differed from his students on a key matter: his clothing. The vest was not easily replaced and he couldn't afford it to tear. At noticing it was growing tighter, he proceeded to removing the vest, but couldn't reach the zipper. He felt like he was being strangled, the shortness of his breath impending suffocation. He strained himself for oxygen, but none came.

As his spine arched, the back of the vest finally ripped, allowing him to shrug it off. Air resumed circulation in his lungs. His joints popped and the world went double on him. Pain was something he as a ninja and war veteran should be able to endure, but no. This was a whole new breed of pain. He would not scream though, determined to prove to Naruto that it wouldn't faze him.

The well-built muscle on his body rippled unbearably under his skin. He couldn't help but let a groan escape as he writhed in agony. His blue suit tore at the sleeves first, revealing burly arms coated in light, silvery fur. Reaching to his head, he grasped his headband and pulled it off his forehead, throwing it in a random direction. His spine crunched, the tailbone extending, becoming a stiff tail as the remainder of clothing was torn.

Now the only thing left to come off…

…was the mask.

Hesitantly, he slipped two claws under the fabric of his mask. He held his head low in attempt to conceal his true face. Removing the shroud, he dropped the limp cloth on the floor. Hearing Naruto's quiet laughter, he narrowed his eyes at him. An amused smirk was spread on his fox face.

His muscles tensed at the constricting pain in his newly exposed face. He hoped that this was it. His ears were pulled to the top of his head, pointing like a dog's. The majority of his mane slacked off to the left, hiding all but the point of his left ear. The tip of his nose turned black and his teeth grew sharper and larger. A feral growl slipped past his clenched teeth, his face gradually warped into a muzzle.

The urge to bay at the moon was pushed away. Unfortunately, even he wasn't strong enough to withstand the instincts. His howl was deep, low, and as chilling as a cold winter's night. At the very end of it, his eyes reopened, one an icy blue, the other a fiery yellow.

Observing her for movement, Sasuke planted himself before her. Sakura's breathing had returned to normal, but her eyes never opened. She moaned as she moved her aching arms in attempt to stand. Her muscle seemed tied in matted knots, granting her difficulty. He wanted to help her, but it was unbearable to even look at her, no longer a sweet human female, but a vile, killer beast; a werewolf.

Reaching a comfortable position on all fours, she lifted her head. Her first sight was the last one she could remember before all that pain began: black wolf, yellow eyes. Her heart leapt in her chest as she stumbled backwards in fear. Staring at the shoulder the creature had bitten, there was no wound, no scar, but fur identical to his, only brown in color. Tears filled her eyes, her dazed mind clearing enough to realize what had transpired.

This was all Sasuke, that monster, wanted her for. To make her suffer...The kiss...it meant nothing. He wanted it to be this way. He wanted her to be a monstrosity.

Furiously, she lunged foreward, swiping her claws down his face. She growled at him unconsciously. His shrill whine pierced the silence that caressed them all. He winced at the pain her razor sharp talons left. However, he let the blood run through his fur and into his eyes. This was the consequence for his insolence. He had to face it maturely.

As she prepared to attack again, she froze. That sad, hurt look in his eye…pleading for forgiveness…

Lowering her arm, she whimpered ashamed. She hated him for doing this to her…toying with her…playing with her emotions…yet she did not want to hurt him. His expression was proof enough he was guilty, but what if it was just another trick?

Sakura uttered no sound as she slowly lifted herself off the ground, battling to stand on two feet. Once there, though, she stumbled, unable to keep her balance. Her mind couldn't keep up with the configurations made to her body. As she fell, Sasuke wiped the blood on the back of his paw and rushed to her.

"Sakura!" he cried, catching her in the fall. Even with his increased strength, her body was respectably heavy. He propped her up, holding her up by her ever-slim waist, a characteristic that was universal in her human and wolf form. She panted, relief washing over her like hot soothing water. Sasuke paused for a moment, gazing at the back of her head.

These regrets would haunt him for the rest of his days.

"Listen to me closely, Sakura…" he requested, steadying his voice, forcing it to sound more like his human's. Her ears twitched his direction. "Just breathe…"

She inhaled through her nostrils and then shakily exhaled.

"…stand on your toes…"

Her legs trembled a little as she lifted her heels and shifted her weight onto her toes.

"…bend your knees…"

As she did so, the comfort level in her stance greatly increased.

"…and stick out your tail."

This was harder to do, considering she was unfamiliar of how to do it. Concentrating, she located its muscles and let the tail stiffen up. He then let go. Sakura was surprised how natural this posture felt.

"Feel better?" Sasuke queried as she turned to face him. Even yet, she had to tilt her head up just to meet his eyes, those dazzling eyes so bright in contrast to his body.

"Y-yeah…" she murmured in a hoarse voice. "A lot…better…"

Even then his sorrowful stare would not cease. As she stared, she desperately wondered where Sasuke had disappeared under this shroud of a large black wolf. Its appearance and behavior, its voice and charm…none of it was anything like her teammate. It was a considerably handsome creature, but it still wasn't Sasuke. A soft, purr-like growl rumbled in the back of his throat.

All her surroundings were unfamiliar to her enhanced senses. The vibrancy of color and light in the dark was incredible. Amplified scents and sounds wholly alien filled her mind, granting her a massive headache. The ground seemed further away, now that she stood at a much taller height than before.

Her head grew light and her eyelids obscured her vision. She lacked energy to take it all in. In response, her mind clicked off, no longer able to support her. Sakura leaned to the side as she drifted into unconsciousness. On reflex, Sasuke seized her, lowering her gently to the cold, solid floor. Now she could rest. He desperately wished that he could rest alongside her.

An enraged growl came from the massive silver wolf standing before Naruto. The fox's arrogant grin was simply infuriating. He was sitting on his haunches with his chest puffed out in pride. There was nothing he should be proud of. Kakashi bared his teeth, acting only on strange callings in his mind. He prowled closer unknowingly on all fours.

"You…" he breathed out. Laugher was filtered through the fox's sharp teeth.

"See, Sensei? Doesn't it feel grand to be an animal? To not have the restraints of pathetic humans?"

Malice flared in his gold and crystal eyes. The blue eye existed where the Sharingan once was, but Kakashi couldn't help but notice its powers were gone, frozen under the ice of his eye. He growled at the stupidity of Naruto's statement.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now…"

Naruto took a quick intake of breath. He backed up, his ears drooping and his eyes wide. This was no joke. The fury his oddly colored eyes held was terrifying, and his massive size was just as intimidating.

But he had seen that look before, the eyes of hatred and disgust, that icy stare so many others have shot him, burning his skin with the label 'demon'. To receive it from someone he cared for, someone that he deemed cared for him was truly hurtful.

"I trusted you…" Kakashi growled with unnatural anger.

"Sensei…I…" Naruto mumbled, the pain evident in his tone

"Be quiet! You have no right to speak!"

Naruto clasped his muzzle shut immediately.

"What made you think this was right?! You're sickening...unbearable! You…you little…beast! You monster! You…demon!"

All functions in his body ceased. His eyes grew wider as he placed a paw up to his chest defensively. Those words…he cannot count the times he was called those dreadful things. Tears filled his blood red eyes. His heart sank in his chest as he watched the silver wolf he created threatened to attack him at any moment.

Kakashi hated him, loathed him, just like everyone else in his life. They despised him simply for existing, for walking this earth. It was all because of the Fox and the curse he cast upon him. Devastation and anxiety pounded within the confines of his thoughts.

"_You beast…"_

"_You monster…"_

"_You demon!"_

Twin trails of tears flowed down his cheeks. He hid his sorrow under a glower.

"_All you are…is a demon…"_

That was not his thought. Something, or someone, had planted it there. It was true, though…he could deny it no longer…

"_So what if they've told you you're not…they lie to you…"_

He dug his claws into the back of his skull, discouraging these words from echoing in his head.

"_If you stay they will only hurt you…"_

Naruto groaned in pain, his animal instincts beginning to surround his thoughts like a thick haze.

"…_they'll kill you, Naruto…"_

A feral growl formed in the back of his throat. It grew louder, forcing him to let out an earsplitting roar. Before Kakashi could strike him, he jumped out of the way and around him. Tears flew past his face as he made for the only escape route: the window. He had to get away, far away. He was unsafe here.

Ramming his body against the window pane, it shattered into hundreds of tiny shards. The jagged remains sliced his back as he jumped through the opening. He shrieked at the pain, but continued onwards.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion to Sasuke, disbelieving what he was seeing. Leaving Sakura's side, he rushed to the window, worried and frustrated. He growled softly as the fox creature sped into the night.

Multiple sharp objects pierced his flesh as he attempted to give chase. Impulsively, he spun around and clawed the perpetrator back and bit him. He pushed him down to the ground and panted, wiping his mouth of blood. It was Kakashi who had attacked him.

"Get out of my way," Kakashi breathed out. His eyes were wide-open, holding an evil, murderous intent uncharacteristic for him. "He's mine!"

As he pounced, Sasuke took his claws and stuck them in his arm. A strident cry ripped past the sound barrier. Sasuke glared and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back to the floor. There was no time for senseless fighting, as he had made that mistake once before. Ignoring him completely, he leapt out the window to pursue Naruto.

Running in the direction he was originally going, he shouted his name, eager for an answer. His sense of smell did little good, as he barely knew Naruto's by heart. He was nowhere in sight or sound. Desperately, he sped in the direction he anticipated would lead him to his friend. His determination was intense.

There was a period of time in which he thought he might never locate him. There were no signs, no tiny indicators of his presence anywhere. However, after a while, he heard a familiar roar, his roar. Using the alleyways to conceal himself, he followed the growling and howling of the fox.

And then, there was a scream of terror.

His eyes widened as he increased his speed. Finally, the sounds reached a peak, leading to the front gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, identical to the night a month ago when it all began. Two occupied the large stretch of pavement before the open doors.

One was his fox friend, the other a human. He was a middle-aged ninja, likely a mere chunin, holding a knife as if preparing to attack Naruto. Fear and anxiety was clear in his eyes. Sasuke knew not his identity, but rushed in to help. As he took his first step onto the pavement, Naruto jumped forward, not even noticing him. The wolf froze in his tracks.

The chunin dropped the kunai and frantically stumbled backwards. The fox charged him, pinning him to the ground, its many tails swishing madly. The ninja thrashed about, trying to gain distance from this abomination of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"N-no…H-Help me! Someone help me, please!" the ninja shouted. Its black claws dug into his skin and a feral growl came past its sharp menacing teeth.

Naruto bit his shoulder and tore back, ripping his clothing, skin and flesh. Blood splattered onto his face. The ninja screamed in agony as claws tore jagged gashes into his body. His claws then stuck deep into his chest. He split a gap in his abdomen, digging into it with his teeth, tearing out an unknown organ. The red liquid splashed on his furry chest and stomach.

He wasn't just attacking the ninja; he was destroying him.

The man's cries ceased as the fox bit his neck, silencing him forever more. His body fell limp as he breathed his last breaths and his heart slowed to nothing. The vibrancy of life in his eyes dimmed. His death was so painful, but at last, his pain would be gone. Sasuke stared mortified.

Naruto raised his blood soaked head and shrieked to the moon in triumph to let all know he was the one who killed this innocent man. The blood pooled on the ground, glimmering in the moonlight.

He proceeded to shredding the remains of his feast. The wolf leapt forward and pushed him off the man. He preserved a sturdy stance as they glared at one another. Sasuke's eyes were more hurt than angry, though. The fox snarled; blood dripped from his fur as if he'd came out of a tub full of it. It was revolting.

"Naruto…you promised me…you would stop this…" Sasuke reminded him in a calm tone, moving away from the corpse. He narrowed his eyes. "You said would stop these killings…"

A deep growl was shot his way. Naruto's face was dripping mad with hatred and his eyes spun with blood lust.

"Stay away…" His demonic, raspy voice sent chills through Sasuke. "I won't hesitate to kill you too…"

Naruto ambushed him, clawing his face and chest to further warn him; he wasn't playing games anymore. Sasuke prevented any cries from escaping his muzzle. Refusing to fight back, he left himself open for a bite to his waist. He could have, should have attacked, but did not want another fight to break loose. He yelped as he was pushed aside, landing a meter or two away from the fox.

There was something terribly wrong with Naruto…he was cruel…more monstrous…less like himself than ever.

Sasuke held his wounds to prevent them from bleeding too much. He clasped his eyes shut, hearing Naruto's wild roar and his claws scraping against the bricks. Weakly opening an eye, he watched as Naruto darted out of the gates and into the forest, out of his sight.

And he did not dare chase after him.

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Sasuke staggered back to the house where Sakura and Kakashi were _hopefully_ waiting. His chakra had gone to work on his minor wounds, but the bite mark on his side was taking much longer to heal. It was difficult to walk with an injury so severe. Every step he took channeled fierce ache through him. He had to return no matter how hard it seemed. He's endured much worse after all…

Scrambling over the wall around the compound, he located the building. He paced around to the back where the broken window was just to get in. He was careful to spot the glass shards. Stopping right before it, he let go of his injury and dropped to all fours. He leapt over the glass and into the hole skillfully, coming out unscathed.

He searched the room. Sakura lay where he had left her, and Kakashi sat in a dark corner, glaring at him with his blazing eyes. Sasuke pawed over to him, sitting up straight on his haunches to show respect in a small way. He maintained a conscientious look on his face.

"Are you all right, Sensei?" he asked him casually. The silver wolf responded with a growl, rubbing his crippled arm.

"I'm fine. I'm a little concerned about you though…how did you get hurt like that?" he said, glancing at the gash in his side. Blood dripped from it, splattering on the wood. Sasuke sighed dejectedly, whining at the sting it left on his body and in his heart.

"I tried to find him. Obviously…he didn't want to be found."

Another threatening growl emitted from the larger wolf. He bared his fangs to intimidate.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance!" he scolded himself, grinding his teeth and clawing the wood floor below him. The black wolf narrowed his eyes and snorted. He found this statement insulting.

"What's your problem?" Kakashi snapped, annoyed by the face he made.

"You, Sensei. You had every right to be mad, but to run him off like that was thoughtless...senseless..."

His blue and yellow irises trailed elsewhere. Having sat there in silence for nearly an hour did give him some time to think about it. He knew it was wrong to have done it, to have said what he said. It was unavoidable. He was angry, and he did what near any angry person would do...Perhaps _he _was the demon, not Naruto.

"He forced this upon us…" he spoke in a low whisper, softly closing his eyes. "I sympathized with him…tried to help him…and he wouldn't let me. He was afraid…of being hated." A single tear fell from his eye, that one tear expressing the remorse for his actions. "I suppose…I've confirmed his fear…"

"Kakashi…" Sasuke mumbled, averting his gaze to Sakura's dormant form. He then bowed, closing his eyes softly. "This may not mean much, but I apologize for what has been done. I am to be blamed equally as Naruto."

"Will she be all right?" he asked, noticing he had glanced to his female student with worried eyes. Sasuke raised his head.

"She'll be fine. It's hard on the person…their very first time."

"I can relate."

Sasuke stood on his hind legs and approached her. He leaned down to lift her, hoisting her on his back, adjusting the body so it would be an easy carry. Sakura's muzzle rested on his shoulder limply. Her heartbeat was slow and steady, but he could feel it thudding against his skin. The fur lining his spine stood on end.

"I'm taking her home. You should head home too," he suggested, walking to the door. He placed a paw over the doorknob, channeling energy past it to undo Naruto's chakra lock. Not bothering to find the key, he delivered a hard kick, eliminating it from the hinges. "Be careful, though. There's sure to be ninja about after what happened."

"What?"

Sasuke halted under the wood door frame. He stared over his shoulder at the pile of the belongings Naruto left behind: his jacket, his weapons, and his headband. His stomach churned.

"I'll explain in the morning."

He uttered no other words as he exited, journeying onward to Sakura's abode.

His anticipation had been proven accurate as he prowled the dark streets of Konoha. Shinobi of all ranks were patrolling the streets, speaking to eachother of the dead chunin. If he were to be caught, they may assume he was the one guilty. Unfortunately for the ninja, they wouldn't be finding the true culprit within these walls.

He stealthily slipped into Sakura's house through her bedroom window, trying his best not to wake anyone that might be home. His eyes traced from wall to wall. It was the typical set-up for a girl's bedroom: a vanity mirror with drawers to store her styling products, a dainty, brown wooden dresser, and of course, her bed.

Lifting the covers, he carefully situated her under them. The rise and fall of her chest confirmed she was alive and well. Carefully he listened for any movement within the house. All was completely mute.

The remainder of his night was spent guarding her bedside. She laid silent and still under the ivory blanket, her head elevated slightly by a simple cotton pillow. He could only sit and stare at her, worrying for her well-being. Moonlight filtered through the blinds overshadowing the window, striking her muzzle with lines of pale gray light.

A strange, but sweet sensation rippled in his veins as he gazed upon her. She was quite attractive, human or wolf. Such perfect locks of tan fur, such bright, piercing eyes that captivated him so (though masked by her eyelids). In human form, he would never even consider anything about her gorgeous, but now as he takes the body of an animal, there was just something…something about her that drew him in.

He shook his head. He still could never truly _like_ the girl.

However, his desire to be near her grew stronger with the more time he spent with her. She was a true sleeping beauty. Gently, he stroked her head, curling around to her cheek. That one touch would have to satisfy his needs.

Weariness and exhaustion interrupted him. He yawned widely, a soft groan tracing his yawn. He was in need of a decent nap. Searching her closet, he found a simple sheet he could use to keep himself warm. He curled up in a corner, using his teeth to position the cloth over himself. His eyelids fell over his glowing yellow eyes as he rested his muzzle on his arms, drifting into a deep slumber in a matter of minutes, nothing but Naruto and Sakura on his mind and in his dreams.

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A light moan sounded off in the back of her throat. She stirred slightly, her eyes opening halfway, and then they shut again. Her head was throbbing and her every muscle ached. She attempted to sit up, but the sting was excruciating.

Sakura's eyes fluttered ajar, the bright light of the sun blinding them temporarily. She realized she was in her room, safe and sound. Birds sang their morning songs outside her window, sweetly relieving to her ears. Taking a deep breath in, she shifted in her lying position, snuggling up in the warmth of the covers. She desperately wished to fall asleep once more. Her eyes closed halfway…

They snapped back open when a strange thought occurred to her.

"_Wait a minute…I don't remember going to bed last night." _She shot up, tossing off the covers in doing so. Suddenly, she felt very, very cold. On reflex, she pulled the covers up to her chest, shivering to warm up. Clenching her eyes shut, she delved deeper into her memories. _"All I remember…is going with Sasuke somewhere."_

Staring downwards, she noticed the straps of her night shirt were non-existent. Her curiosity was aroused, and she raised an eyebrow. Tentatively, she peeked under the covers. She yelped, pressing the blanket to her chest as if her life depended on it.

"_And why aren't I wearing any clothes?!" _she screamed in her mind. At least it explained why the room was so freezing. _"What the hell is going on here?"_

"Are you all right?" she heard someone ask her. Her head snapped in the direction it came from. Standing next to her bed was a tall, pale skinned boy…cold onyx eyes as rough as stone…shining raven colored hair…

It was Sasuke.

His irises were locked in place by some invisible glue. He was confused, unsure of why she looked so upset. Sakura panicked, scanning Sasuke carefully, overlooking no details. His torso was bare, no sort of clothing covering it. The only thing he wore was a white sheet wrapped around his waist. Sakura's eyes grew wide.

"S-Sasuke…-kun…wh-why…are…"

She didn't even bother to finish her question. Her lips were parted, harsh breaths venting through them. It made little sense. She was naked. He was also…sort of. A furious blush lit up on her cheeks as she pieced her few clear memories into a logical picture.

Sakura screamed to both fend him off and alert her parents.

"No, no, Sakura! Stop it, you're gonna wake--" he shouted frantically, trying to calm her down in anyway possible. Putting a hand to his forehead, he shook his head. She wouldn't stop. He clenched his teeth, growling angrily. "Shut up, you idiot!"

To bring it to an end, he rushed over to her, cupping his hand over her mouth, her cries muffled behind it. She struggled, prying his arm in desperation while holding the bed-spread close. He narrowed his eyes harshly, feeling her quick breaths upon his skin.

"Stop it…now," he demanded angrily, his sensitive ears picking up on footsteps coming down the hallway. The person responsible for them tapped on the door lightly. Sakura immediately ceased, staring at the door worriedly.

"Sakura, are you all right in there?" an older woman's voice chimed through the wood barrier. Likely, it was her mother. Sasuke gave her a look, requesting her of a little white lie. Letting go of her mouth, he waited for her response as impatiently as the woman outside.

"I-I'm fine…m-mom…" she stuttered, stressing to hide her dread. "It's…just a spider."

Thinking swiftly, Sasuke slammed his hand on a nearby wall to simulate she had just crushed the "spider".

"Th-there…I got it!"

An exasperated sigh could be heard. "All right, Sakura. Breakfast will be ready soon dear, so don't stay in bed too long, kay?"

"Kay, mom."

The footsteps returned, the volume decreasing to nothing as Sakura's mother left. Sasuke exhaled his held breath, pleased with the decency of her work.

"Good, she's gone…" he mumbled. Suddenly, Sakura's well manicured nails were dug into his skin. He inhaled through his teeth shortly after. Sakura glared at him, preparing to choke him.

"Sasuke-kun, what the hell are you doing in my room?!" she whispered angrily. "More importantly, why are you wearing nothing but _my_ bed sheet?!"

"I'd love to explain, Sakura, but you're going to have to wait!"

"Why?"

Sasuke gently put his hand on her chest, motioning her to lie down. She definitely didn't want to. "You need to rest. A day at the most. It still hurts right?"

"God, you sick…What the hell did you do to me last night?!"

"You don't remember? Come on. Even I remembered after my first time…"

"Thanks for that information you pervert!"

Sasuke could have slapped his forehead. The idea she had was definitely not identical to his, and it was very uncomfortable to ever even think of such nonsense. However, he pushed it aside. She was quite moody for someone who just slept for nearly eleven hours. It was probable the attitude was a simple aftereffect…

"Please…do you really think we did _that_?" He put his finger under her chin, staring her directly in the eye. "Think harder. You must remember something."

No matter how hard she tried, nothing would arise. The gap was irking her. She could remember as far as the kiss they shared, and that still did not provide enough evidence to disprove herself. Sasuke's eyes shifted from side to side for a moment.

"You know…" He lifted his other hand as his lips neared her ear. He treaded his fingers through her hair similar to how a cat scratches a scratching post. "…rawr…" His tone was airy and sickly sweet.

Her eyes widened ever slightly, a memory striking her hard. She remembered witnessing Sasuke's irises changing to bright yellow…his body changing…everything about him changing. A howl chorusing with a feral roar rang in her head; it frightened her.

"Y-you…a-a-and…" she stammered. She remembered her sensei trying to protect her from Naruto and Sasuke. She remembered the pain as Sasuke bit her shoulder. The pain that followed the bite was the last memory she could fully recollect. The rest was nothing more than a distorted blur. Gingerly, she touched where the wound would have been. "…and…Naruto…you're…"

A devilish grin was plastered on his mouth as he pulled back. So she really did recall the events.

"There…now I have less explaining to do," he quipped, adjusting the sheet as it had fallen slightly.

"Y-you…what…in the world…are you?" she questioned as she backed away from him.

"I suppose I can say...Why don't you take a crack at guessing?"

She pursed her lips together, and glanced at her shoulder again. That bite he'd administered…it must have done something to her. As a matter of fact, she felt different; it was almost a lie to address her as Sakura. She felt stronger…wild…but her human mind overshadowed any desires that suddenly slipped into her train of thought.

"I'll…give you a hint…" he murmured tenderly, holding up two fingers. "Two words…were…wolf. Technically…it's…one word, though."

Sakura swallowed a growing lump in her throat. She averted her gaze to the wood floors, a distant look in her soft green eyes. A bite...a werewolf...She didn't even know how it was possible for Sasuke to even _be_ one. Putting two and two together, she faintly understood why she was so agonized this morning.

Sasuke felt saddened, the guilt returning, and he approached her again. He wrapped his arm around her head, snapping her out of the daze.

"This is all I can do to say I am sorry…" he whispered.

Pulling her head in, he let their lips touch in another kiss. This was not as fiery, as needy as the last. It was short and sweet, but the message was clear.

And in a blur, Sasuke was gone, disappeared through the now open window. Sakura's lips were still puckered where he was. She blinked, startled by his sudden absence.

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End of Chapter

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	8. Sweet Taste of Blood

**Chapter 7**

_November 11__th__ – November 27__th_

The Sweet Taste of Blood

The nights were getting colder and longer. These tedious factors are easily noticed when nothing enters or exits your mind for hours on end, when your heart seems to stop beating, frozen like the frosty autumn night air. It is the state of mind in which you are in essence…the living dead.

Naruto absentmindedly stumbled through the trees, a blank expression upon his face. The very same dead feeling was rotting him from the inside out. His escape from the Hidden Leaf one night ago felt like centuries. He couldn't recall why he needed to leave so desperately, or where he'd planned on going. All that mattered was those dreadful people, those traitors, were far behind him now.

Cuts and bruises stained his smooth, near hairless skin. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, lighting his path clearly enough. His eyes did not stray, locked foreward, but ever observant of his surroundings. It hurt to breathe…it hurt his every cell just to continue on.

Not like he wanted to. He desired death.

His foot caught onto a branch, causing him to trip and fall to the damp, leaf coated ground. Another scrape was etched into his knee. His throat couldn't tolerate the dry air anymore. Holding his chest, he coughed violently, a few drops of blood splattering in his mouth. Quickly, he swallowed it, savoring it while he could, but his own blood did not taste as sweet as it would if it came from another.

Tears spilled from his bright, blue eyes. The emotional ache was too strong to bear. No matter how far he ran, the insults he stomached for all those years would stick to him forever. His tie to the village, his tie to the people who he so dearly loved was equally ailing.

"_Aw…you poor…unfortunate child…"_

Startled, Naruto's eyes darted around the scope. That deep, evil, sickening voice rang in his mindscape again. Narrowing his eyes at nothing in particular, he growled through clenched teeth. He needed not the annoyance of the Fox…

"_What is wrong? You seem so hurt…so…in pain."_

"_Shut up you fucking animal…I've had enough of you…"_

"_I apologize…host…" _He spoke the word "host" with distaste. _"I was only worried…I may be a demon…but I have a heart."_

Naruto could not respond, occupied with more coughing. The Fox's purr-like breathing calmed him, but he retained his loathing. He wiped the blood from his mouth on the back of his hand.

"What do you want from me, Fox…" he whispered to the air, biting his lip. "Haven't you done enough?"

"_Perhaps, but why blame me because they hate you?" _the Fox queried.

"Because you are the reason everyone hates me!" he shouted aloud, his voice echoing through the trees.

"_It isn't my fault the Fourth sealed me inside you…"_

Again, the Fox spoke the truth. It appalled Naruto to admit the demon was right, but nonetheless, he constantly did so. As more tears threatened to drop, he could swear that he felt a soft tail wrap around his body, but when he looked down, there was nothing there.

"_Hush child…you've no need to cry…you should celebrate," _the Fox cackled.

"But why? I'm all alone…been left to die…no one cares about me."

"_Who is alone? I'm here…and I care…I understand you Naruto."_

A relaxed sensation washed over him, a slow wave of the Kyuubi's chakra rippling through the stream. Softly he closed his eyes, breathing in deep, weakly fighting it. He wanted the power, needed it, craved it, but he knew delving into it was irrational and harmful to him. He whined slightly, writhing in attempt to stop it.

Out of fear, he stumbled onto his feet, holding his head to confine the aching within it. He wheezed, the difficulty to breathe rising rapidly. To keep his balance, he leaned on the nearest tree, hugging his stomach. The energy was spreading rapidly, and it was too compelling to ignore it. He let his muscles relax.

"_We're so alike…you and I…we share the love…love for watching others die by our hands…tasting their sweet…sweet blood. You do…love its taste…don't you?" _

Naruto's eyes snapped open. They were no longer innocent blue, but murderous red. He embraced the words for the comfort he so desperately needed.

"Yes…I…do…" His harsh, rasp voice broke through the silence. A demonic echo was added to it.

"_And revenge…we both strive for it…correct?"_

"Yes…"

"_Then seek it. Break the bond…forget they even existed…With our combined power…we can do anything…kill anyone…destroy them all…"_

Small fangs grew in his mouth, visible to any onlookers through his manic grin. He felt mighty…wild and free as more of the Fox's chakra slipped past the seal and into his body. A deep, unearthly laugh was filtered through his smile.

It wasn't a full transformation, but these small changes in appearance were enough to show there was so little of Naruto Uzumaki in this body. The Fox was tearing him apart at the seams, and it was working. He could never escape this body as his old self and he was fully aware of it. However…he could convert the host to his liking. He was such an unstable child, naïve and effortless to manipulate…

He could mold a new demon from the withering human he resided in, perhaps into a demon more wicked and forceful than himself. It was only a matter of time.

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Resting atop the mountain in which the Hokage Faces were carved, Sasuke and Sakura stared into oblivion, the sky painted in pink and orange hues. The sun was setting as it did every day, but they could not help but be fascinated by its recurring splendor. Nothing in the entire world seemed a better way to spend their time.

The two visited in a strange way. For hours they'd sit near one another, sharing only their company. Little or no words were spoken until one or the other had to leave. They'd share simple good-byes, and that was it.

However, this night, Sakura had gotten tired of their silent encounters.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, stealing his attention from the sunset. "You…still haven't told me…"

His onyx irises trailed elsewhere. He knew well what she was implying. Sighing some, he kicked the ground, a small cloud of dust rising.

"I don't know. He just…left…"

"After…killing that ninja…"

"Right."

Sakura swallowed; her heart cramped in her chest. Never would she have suspected the wrongs in Naruto's life to be so dreadful. She had always thought it was a simple, easily solved matter, but this? Murdering? Absurd. That boy was not that kind of person…so far as she knew.

"How long did this slip past me?" she interrogated, certain Sasuke would have the answer. "...What happened to him?"

"A year or so...and he never really explained what caused his…condition," he explained, putting it lightly to not upset her. Her eyelids drifted over her eyes, moisture developing at the corners. Instinctively, Sasuke rubbed the tears away, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and holding her close.

"I wouldn't worry 'bout him. He…probably just needs…alone time," he muttered, doubting himself. _"I can't help…but feel there's something going on with him. Before he left…that weird energy he gives off all the time…it was stronger…a lot stronger."_

"Why do you two always tell me not to worry?"

The matter struck him like a bullet. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze to a small pebble near his feet. Even he did not completely understand why they told her not to be concerned. Was it to protect themselves? Or perhaps…to protect her? Pursing his lips, he refused to answer.

From a shrub behind the couple, Kakashi had been watching them for several minutes, listening in on their conversation carefully. His eye was painted with his everlasting guilt. It was his fault, his mistake. Why were they sharing in his pain as well?

"I can't stand it anymore…keeping these stupid secrets from me. So what if you're not really human? So what if you're some…creature? So what if I am too?" she sobbed, the empty hole in her heart aching. It hurt her to think of them being that mistrusting of her. "I wouldn't care. Never. We've been together since we graduated from the academy. Why would this change anything?"

Sasuke remained ever silent. What could he say to stop her from making him feel so guilty? A quiet anger began to boil inside him, but refused to get upset with her.

"You ask too many questions," he stated bluntly. He rubbed her shoulder a little before continuing. "Naruto's gonna be okay. He'll…he'll come back…I promise."

"I miss him so much…"

"I miss him too, Sakura," Sasuke whispered. He breathed in through his nose slowly. His eyes came open, recognizing the scent of his sensei behind all the other scents. Sighing, he removed his arm from Sakura's shoulder.

"I know you're there, Kakashi," he muttered. Sakura's gaze shifted, searching for the person in mention. "You can stop hiding now."

Kakashi exhaled exasperatedly. He knew it wouldn't be long before Sasuke noticed something. Complying, he pushed his way out of the shrub and into the open. Sasuke stood, leaving Sakura's side to face him.

This was their first real encounter since the night he'd become like him, the night they became true brethren, but nothing had changed between them. Sasuke's eyes maintained their cold stare, while the only eye Kakashi displayed was relaxed.

"You should realize by now, Sensei…" Sasuke stated disappointedly. "My sense of smell is better than you think."

"Of course," Kakashi agreed. He leaned over slightly to glance at Sakura, who was hugging her knees to her chest for warmth as she stared foreward "What are you two doing up here?"

"Just…watching the sunset…"

Both their eyes lifted to gaze out onto the horizon. A quiet breeze blew, creating a whisper that spoke indecipherable words to them. The village below the mountain spanned for miles, the buildings hidden among tall trees as its name intended. Some called the Hidden Leaf Village weak and vulnerable, but in truth it was strong and prosperous. Nothing in the entire world they would trade for it.

And it was sad to think anyone would.

"It is a beautiful thing," Kakashi mumbled, strolling to the edge. "The night not yet here…and the day not quite gone…caught in between light and dark."

Glancing back on his students, his eye had turned angry. Sakura jumped; Sasuke stood his ground.

"We are the same. Not entirely human…yet not entirely an animal."

They nodded, agreeing to his statement. The point, though, was not as clear as the analogy presented. Sakura looked away, uncomfortable with the thought. She felt she may go insane from her futile attempts to convince herself she was nothing but Sakura Haruno. But no…there would always be that beast inside her, patiently waiting to be awakened the next full moon.

"But…there's gotta be a way to get rid of it…isn't there?" she asked timidly. Kakashi shook his head, his goal not to answer her question "no", but to express he had no clue.

"We have worse things to be worrying about then stopping the curse," he said sternly, staring at the top of the Fourth Hokage's carving. "There is the matter of Naruto…"

"I don't understand, Sensei." Sakura rose from her sitting position, standing next to him. Her eyes were filled with worry. "I don't understand what's wrong with him…"

"Neither of you would. You don't know _what _he really is. Only people my age would."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke inquired, furrowing his brow at the back of Kakashi's neck. "Isn't he--"

"No," the jonin interrupted. "He is not a werewolf. His condition is a variation of it, but he is not."

"I know, he's a were_fox_…but what makes him so different from us, Sensei?"

"Well…"

Pausing himself, he contemplated whether it was right to tell them. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he closed his eye, thinking back on that day the Nine-Tailed Fox ravaged their peaceful village. It was an indestructible being, even more so that the Fourth could not tame it. Costing his life, he used his own child to seal its powers away in his infant body. It had to be Naruto's unfortunate soul who withheld it…

"Naruto…is what you call…a demon container."

Their curiosity was aroused. Both their attentions had been locked onto Kakashi.

"A demon…container?" Sakura said skeptically. Kakashi nodded.

"You two must know the story of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, right?"

"My mom used to tell me it before bed when I was younger…"

"And how did it go?"

"Uhm…" She hesitated, collecting her thoughts, trying to remember the tale. "It would be…fourteen years ago now when…the Demon Fox attacked the village. The ninja tried their very best to fend it off…but it was just too powerful. And then…the Fourth Hokage…he stood up to the beast…and killed it…but lost his life in the process…right?"

"That is only the story they were permitted to tell you. There is a detail…a detail that has been left out of the story…for all these years…" He took a deep breath in, pleading for forgiveness from the Third for going against his will. "The Fox…was never killed. It is alive…within Naruto's body."

The revelation was brought upon her without warning, startling her. However, when her sensei first mentioned the Fox, she'd interpreted that the demon was involved. Kakashi never mentioned something without entailing meaning. Her heart clenched in her chest and her eyes went wide. How in the world did a demon portrayed as tall as a mountain fit within a small boy?

"Come on. That's impossible," Sasuke scoffed, finding difficulty in believing him.

"It is not, Sasuke," Kakashi retorted, the volume of his voice raising a notch. "You've never noticed how the form he takes under the full moon resembles a _Nine-Tailed Fox_?"

"Yeah, but…" Sasuke sighed, defeated. "I suppose I cannot defy that logic…"

"So…it's possessed him?" Sakura asked, worry rising up on her like flames. If it were true, then she'd never really known Naruto, but the Nine-Tailed Fox. Still…it probably wasn't the case. She wasn't aware of many demons who were_ that_ attracted to ramen…

"The Fourth sealed it inside of him as a last resort to save the village. It hasn't exactly possessed him. Naruto always seemed to be so in control of its power…but…perhaps with age the seal loosened to the point it _could_ possess him."

"Before he left," Sasuke disrupted. "He didn't seem too…in control of himself. That chakra…it just isn't normal."

"You speak of the Fox's chakra. His seal no longer holds the ability to sustain the chakra's flow into his body, nor keep him safe from it. If this goes on for too long…" He halted to steady himself. Desperately he hoped his most dreadful anticipations were untrue, simple nightmares that meant nothing. "I fear the worst for him…and us…"

Darkness was creeping up on them quickly. The last bits of the sun's life were dying down, stars began to appear in the black shroud overhead, and the air cooled to a moderate temperature. The three remaining members of team seven sat in still silence, delved in their own thoughts and concerns.

"_He can't survive out there…not all on his own…he's probably cold…scared…hungry…" _Sakura thought, tears welling in her eyes. _"I can't stand him doing this…"_

"_Naruto is strong…but he's not that strong. He'll die if he doesn't come back soon," _Sasuke pondered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We must find him," Kakashi muttered sternly, "and bring him home. We cannot rely on him coming back on his own."

"Right," Sasuke concurred, "but, there's no point in starting a search without confirming he won't come back."

"No, I'm not going to risk anything else. I've already gambled with his mental and physical health."

"But how in the world will we find him?" said Sakura worriedly.

His eyes trailed upwards to gaze at the moon. Only part of it glowed that chilling pale white. His skin crawled. A simple glance of its wonder made him speculate his oncoming fate. Never did he want this kind of life, but if there truly was no cure, he would have to adapt to it as Naruto and Sasuke have. To endure it for the remainder of his life…he'd eventually be driven to insanity.

He too would become a monster.

"We can use our newfound…_powers_," he suggested. "Though we aren't proficient in using _it_…quite yet…_it_…may be the only way we would stand a chance against him."

"Even then," Sasuke declared. "Naruto is no pushover. He could have killed me…twice."

"It's…not that he wanted to kill you, Sasuke. In reality he would never."

"Still…if what you say is true…the Nine-Tailed Fox…its chakra getting into him. What if he has no control whatsoever?"

Kakashi's eye trailed elsewhere. The thought ever existed in the ideas piling into his plan. It didn't particularly benefit the picture he was piecing. What_ if_ Naruto couldn't control it? Would they be outmatched by the awesome powers of a true demon?

"Perhaps we should…" Kakashi stopped himself mid-sentence. He shook his head, preventing the proceeding words from escaping his masked lips. "No, I must be crazy…we simply couldn't. I mean…done deliberately once…but again?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sasuke, think of how easily Naruto could kill a highly trained ninja, coming out completely unscathed. Then think of how hard it was for him to hold his own with you when you first transformed. Humans cannot defeat him in his second form…but a wolf…a werewolf…were_wolves_…"

Idly rolling a stone with his foot, Sasuke contemplated the statement. He sighed, tossing it into his hand using his toes, throwing it off the bank of the mountain; he glared at Kakashi's back.

"Then shouldn't we be enough? It's three on one."

"We have no idea how dangerous he is, or howmuch the Fox will be influencing his thoughts and actions."

"We also have no idea how the curse will affect_ us_ in the future. Why put more through it?"

"Well why not? One must be ready to sacrifice it all—their humanity and their life—for a precious one."

Sasuke stared down at the ground, digging his hands into his black short's pockets. A devilish grin played onto his lips, followed by a dark laughter. His eyes flared with an evil glint.

"Listen to yourself," he said. "It's hardly been two weeks…yet you've already changed so much…"

Kakashi scowled at nothing in particular. His ears felt like they were bleeding. Anger fumed inside him and with each passing day, it'd become harder to control it. Shortened temper was the first clear change he'd observed in Naruto and Sasuke, and even in himself. At seeing it so much, it could finally be depicted as fact: Weres were easily angered, transformed or not.

He breathed deeply, calming himself down. Sorrowfully, his eye trailed downwards, ashamed with himself.

"Yes…I am aware of that…but I cannot help it. I just feel…compelled to change, like it's something I have to do to survive this," Kakashi attempted to explain; the emotion was complicated to speak of.

"That's how I've been feeling too," Sakura mumbled, her hand pressed to her aching chest. "It's this sick feeling, rising up my throat. This calling…but…I just couldn't…I don't want this. I don't want to change. I like who I am."

"It's going to happen anyways," Sasuke declared, sparing them no lies. "Naruto himself told me. It's pointless to ignore it, to try and fight it. It's going to keep coming at you, eating away at you until you become nothing but a beast."

"And you believed him?" Kakashi questioned, a tone of shock tracing his words. He knew Sasuke, and it was difficult to believe he would even consider thinking like that. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his short nod. "Why would you want to believe that?"

"I don't want to. I just do. It's what_ instinct _calls for. You'll learn to rely on them a little more eventually, Kakashi."

"But I'm relying on them now. My instincts tell me it's going to take more than us three…to show we really want him back…to show him I'm sorry for what I said to him…" His voice dropped in volume considerably as the sentence progressed, anguish and anxiety pricking his nerves.

"I'm doubtful anyone would willingly get involved," Sasuke stated coldly, attempting to steer him away from the subject. Nervously, his heart pounded against his ribcage.

"I…wouldn't judge so hastily," Kakashi retorted, looking upon the faintly lit village. "I'm positive there are."

"Who are they then?"

"Well…" He adjusted his headband a little, moving some bangs the wind tossed into his eye. "That's what I want you two to start thinking about this oncoming week. Think of people who Naruto hold dear, and they in return hold him so. Think of people who are strong, cunning, and loyal. Think of people who would do anything to protect a comrade."

Complying with his request, they each nodded. Sakura was a bit more hesitant; the air had suddenly gotten colder around her. Rubbing her right arm, she bit her lip as she mulled over her thoughts. Her soft green eyes became distant and unfeeling. Her stomach churned and the urge to vomit slid up her throat, but she knew it was only her mind playing tricks on her.

The very thought of…_making_ more…sickened her.

"The full moon will rise in fifteen days. Seven from now we meet in this same spot, same time. Understand?"

Again they nodded.

"Good." Smiling, he raised his hand and waved it. "I look forward to it."

A flash of white smoke exploded around him. Sakura, being the closest to him, coughed a bit after breathing it in. Once it cleared, he had disappeared from sight.

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Laying flat on his bed, Sasuke stared at his bedroom ceiling, creating false images out of its textures. It was late at night, two nights after they had discussed Naruto with Kakashi, and he just couldn't seem to get to sleep. Something was troubling him, yet he could not decipher what it was that bothered him so.

Naruto was missing, yet he was so cold, so heartless as to hardly care. Sasuke knew it was his duty to aide the conquest, as it was also partially his fault for the disappearance. He was his best friend, his teammate, and a fellow Leaf ninja…Of course all that drabble was better left for Naruto to dwell upon anyways. Since he was gone, Sasuke had taken up Naruto's habit of being sentimental.

Embracing the warmth his bedspread provided, he let his eyelids lazily droop down. He stared out of the window, tracing the moon as it moved ever slowly through the midnight blue sky. Another full moon was coming soon. Perhaps that was what irritated him, preventing him from entering his normal sleep pattern.

Moaning, he flipped his body over, burying his face in his pillow. He was so dreadfully tired, but nothing seemed to soothe him into his normally undisturbed slumber. In this position, however, he felt relaxed, comfortable. Heaving a sigh, he let his eyes close, awaiting his brain to shut down with it.

Then, he heard a tapping sound.

He shot up, his eyes locked in the direction it came from. Nothing was there, inside the room or outside. Raising an eyebrow quizzically, he removed his covers. Slowly, he approached his window. Unhooking its lock, he cracked it open.

The second he did, a small rock flew through it, hitting him square in the forehead.

He muttered a soft "ow", rubbing the afflicted area. A small string of curses followed it. He picked up the pebble, observing it for no particular reason. Growling, he poked his head out of the open window. He glared downwards at the perpetrator.

At seeing her soft, pink hair, he let go of the threatening stare.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry. I-I…didn't mean to hit you…" she apologized in a meager, weak tone.

"Sakura it's four in the morning. Go get some sleep," he demanded.

"But I can't sleep…"

Resting his arms upon the windowsill, he gave her a sympathizing look as he had the same problem as well. "Naruto still on your mind?"

She swallowed, latching her arms onto eachother to keep warm. "Yes…but…that's not what I mean…can I come up?"

"I guess…" Sasuke mumbled reluctantly, annoyed by the fact she'd prevented him from sleeping. "Front door's open."

He waited for her patiently, sitting on his bed and rubbing his eyes of drowsiness. He hoped this was important, or he swore, he would strangle her. Insomnia and hunger clouded over that desire. After this was over, whatever this was, he would cease attempting to sleep. It was futile with so many thoughts and concerns tormenting him.

Sakura entered his room hesitantly. Her eyes held sorrow and distress, causing Sasuke to feel the same as their eyes locked. He motioned for her to sit next to him; she complied, leaning on him for his warmth. Sasuke did not protest this gesture.

"All right, tell me what's up," Sasuke asked of her gently.

"It's…I'm nervous…"

"About…?"

"You know…this whole…werewolf thing…and this plan Kakashi-sensei has," she murmured, holding back her fearful tears with all her might. "I don't know if I can go through with it…"

"I'm…sorry, Sakura, but there's nothing that can stop it…"

She nodded. "I understand that, Sasuke-kun…but it's mostly Sensei's plan I'm afraid of…He…wants us…to—"

"He wants us to find Naruto. I guess…if we need more of us to do that…then so be it."

"That I'm okay with too it's just…the thought…"

"The thought of administering the bite?"

Another nod. "The blood…I can't stand blood…I can hardly look at it…let alone…"

A small smile crept upon Sasuke's pale lips, along with a little laugh. She tensed up, feeling mocked and ashamed. He approached his dresser, atop which his weapon pouch was placed before he changed into his nightclothes. Opening it, he removed a kunai knife. The two halves of it adorned reflections of both him and Sakura.

"I may not have been this way for long, but if there's one thing I've learned from it…" He grinned a frightening grin, displaying it for Sakura in the moonlight. "It's that blood…tastes a lot better then most humans depict it."

Holding the knife in a stabbing position, he pressed the tip to the underside of his wrist, puncturing the skin. Sakura gasped, unable to watch him do what she knew he was doing. Tearing down his arm, he left a near perfect straight line in his skin. His blood seeped through the intentional wound, but all he did was stare at it, brooding over the fact he could not drink his own blood to gain the same pleasure another's did.

"It might not be too appealing at first, but after your first taste, it becomes…addicting…powerful…blood can make you loose control altogether."

Returning to Sakura's side, he held out his injured arm to her. She strained away, a noise of her distaste rumbling in the back of her throat.

"That is why it should be important to learn what it tastes like before the transformation…because even I have almost lost my mind under its influence…"

When she inhaled through her nose, an intoxicating aroma filled it. She grew lightheaded as she drew closer to the wound. Blood was now dripping down the sides of his arm, but the injury was not the distinguishing factor. Her attention was caught by the color and the scent. They cried to her, begging her to taste it.

"Just lick it. Do it before I bleed to death…"

Closing her eyes, she inched closer to his arm. Her desire to sample the red liquid grew stronger. Tentatively, she ran her tongue across his cool, pale flesh. He blushed and looked away, the feeling of her moist tongue discomforting.

Her pupils dilated the second her tongue sensed the blood. Her nerves tingled at the sweet sensation. Sakura, once repulsed by the idea, had been enchanted by the taste. Hungrily, she cleaned the excess blood on the sides of his muscular arms. Sasuke could tell her mind had been changed.

But then, there was no more blood to savor. The bleeding stopped and the wound began to heal. She wanted more, needed it so badly. Licking her teeth of the blood stains, she stared at the limb that carried more of this invigorating liquid. The only way it would come out is if she were to create another puncture in his smooth skin…

On instinct, she sank her unsharpened human teeth in his hand, growling. Sasuke's eyes widened, realizing how she was reacting. Hastily, he pulled his arm away from her. She scowled at him, and he returned it, holding his hand back defensively.

"Hey, hey, easy…you can't be getting too much of this stuff," he scolded forcefully. Her angry stare shifted to shame and guilt.

"But…Sasuke-kun…I…want more," Sakura muttered almost silently, disbelieving what came out of her mouth. He stayed back in fear of her trying to take a bite out of him again.

"You'll get more, but it won't be this blood. It will be human blood, and it can be twice as addicting," he explained, remembering how he had struggled to keep himself from sucking her dry when he bit her. "Let's put it this way…blood to us…it's like a drug."

"A…drug?"

"It changes the way you think about things. It awakens your animal instincts, fading your human beliefs and reason into the background. That's only a bad thing if you're in the wolf form…because that creature you become…is a very…very dangerous thing…"

Her fear of herself was intensified. She gazed at the wooden floor, unable to look Sasuke in the eye again. She was dreadfully embarrassed of what she'd attempted to do to him. All her senses shut down as a defense mechanism to make sure she would not attack him.

Sasuke attempted to soothe her by sitting beside her, wrapping his arm over her shoulder. Usually she'd instantly gain a starry look in her eye, but she showed no reaction to him. Trauma filled her irises and her breathing was slow, too slow for consolation. He sighed deeply.

"It's gonna be all right, Sakura…" he whispered to her. "You'll be fine."

"Y-you…you promise?"

"Course I do."

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End of Chapter

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	9. The Recruiting Session Part I

**Chapter 8**

_December 4__th__ - December 12__th_

The Recruiting Session – Part I

"_If there is wrong in what I am doing…I'll be wrong. In my heart I feel this is right…but why does my mind protest? Should I follow this stupid voice in my head? Or should I follow my common sense? I can't change my mind; it's just the way beasts are. I'll choose what gets me closer to Naruto. However, I feel sort of…lost without his presence…_

"_He was gone a long time ago, though. In essence, when a boy that brought such life and vibrancy to all falls apart…the society in which he lived begins to deteriorate with him. He's a fool…a foolish fool. I wish I had seen it…perhaps I could have stopped it all from happening…Naruto would still be here…and we'd still be Team Seven._

"_Will I ever be forgiven for what I've done? Would a sincere apology mend the heart I finished breaking? Sometimes simple things as such could work…but in this case…I'm doubtful of the powers the word "sorry" has over the factor. _

"_Regardless if I'm forgiven or not, Naruto needs to be returned to the village post-haste. Any measure must be taken to see he is safe within our walls-within our loving arms-once more. He needs us…as much as we need him…"_

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"He's _late_…again…" Sasuke complained, crossing his arms to pout. He bit the inside of his mouth, particularly forcing the sharp canine through it to prevent himself from getting any angrier. Sakura was equally annoyed, gritting her teeth behind her glossed lips.

"Not a surprise," Sakura growled.

Her once soft eyes held a mysterious evil as she glowered at the ground. Lack of sleep had been haunting her, making it twice as easy to irritate her. The anger was good, made her feel powerful, but if left unattended to she would lose her control over it.

Sasuke had the feeling she hadn't really understood what he meant by changing oneself. As she delved into Sasuke's reasoning, she acted less and less like Sakura. She didn't talk too much, and her tendency to be easily angered was even worse. Though, her new self was more attractive—a lot more—beyond his hunger for her was his guilt for forcing this change upon her.

Sandals scraping against the rock reached their ears, indicating the arrival of their sensei. In sync, they turned to him, scowling at his tardiness. Kakashi returned it to them. He was not angry, but also dreadfully tired. He too was infected with insomnia.

"I apologize for being late…" he mumbled in a scratchy voice. "I lost track of time."

After rubbing his eye, he observed his students. His curiosity was drawn in by the signs of fatigue in both of them. Raising an eyebrow, he pondered as to why.

"You two as well?" he questioned them. They nodded in perfect unison.

"Closer the full moon becomes…the harder it becomes to sleep at night," Sasuke explained through the knowledge Naruto provided him earlier on.

"Even if I manage to sleep…" Kakashi said, rubbing his aching head. "It isn't for long…these horrible dreams and nightmares have been happening…every night…"

"I believe we didn't agree to meet here to talk about _our _problems," Sakura spat out with venom. "We're here to discuss what we plan on doing about Naruto."

The two gave her a puzzled look, the outburst catching them off guard. Sasuke's eyes trailed elsewhere, a guilty pang slashing his stomach with the fury of a storm. Sighing, he nodded in agreement. Kakashi coughed a little to clear his throat.

"W-well…since _its _not that far off, I think now's the time we finalize our plan," he declared grandiosely. "Before I tell you who I came up with…I want to hear your suggestions…just to play it fair of course."

Neither answered him. Silence embraced them, for neither had the courage to speak their mind. Bemused, Kakashi's gaze shifted between the two as he waited impatiently.

"Sakura, why don't you go first?" he requested. She gave an annoyed growl, but complied with him.

"I tried, I really did," she mumbled in shame. "I couldn't think of anybody I knew who_ would _be so...willing. Well, accept for one…but…she's not the right person, trust me."

"Go on and say who it is."

Sakura hesitated. "I…thought about Ino…y'know from Team Ten?"

"Yes, I know her."

"I honestly can't remember why she came to mind…I'm sorry, Sensei."

"Don't apologize. I can see why you would think about her, as she is one of your closest companions. You can rely on that sort to be…well…reliable, but I am unsure if she is what we are searching for…"

"R-right…"

Kakashi's head turned towards Sasuke. "And what about you?"

"I came up with two: Rock Lee and Kiba Inuzuka."

"Interesting choices. Care to explain?"

"I was thinking on the basis of strength, as we_ will _need it. Lee's already advanced muscle strength would be increased tenfold gifted with our prowess…imagine it…and Kiba is already experienced in the "canine" field. It'd be fairly easy for him to adapt to the second form, and not to mention the powerful jutsu at his disposal…"

"A point made, yes, but physical strength is not all we're searching for. Do you really think its going to take brute force to bring him home?"

"Frankly, yes. We can't take lightweights who aren't ready to take him down if needed."

"Not that power level isn't important to our decision…but we can't bring along anyone who would anger him _more_."

Grimacing at his sensei and the fact he presented, he sighed, flipping a piece of his bangs in the process. Perhaps not Rock, but Kiba would be among the many that are senseless and hardheaded enough to insult lightly. If he were to throw one more out there…

"If our choices are so flawed, what are yours?" Sasuke questioned pressingly. A quiet cackle came from Kakashi. A scowl worked its way onto Sasuke's lips. Though he loved to mock others, he despised it when others turned the method on him. Kakashi laughed again at his angry expression, raising his left hand, holding up three fingers.

"I've come up with three, to double our group size."

"Who are those three then?" Sakura asked, repeating Sasuke's original inquiry.

"They are people I know Naruto will certainly acknowledge…not only that, they are strong, capable, and ready. The quality of their companionship with Naruto and their ability makes them the _only _sure choices."

He lowered two of his fingers so one remained.

"My first choice hails from the Hyuga Clan. She's still mere genin…but she holds much promise. Kurenai Yuhi, a fellow jonin sensei, tells me she envies Naruto. Has a little…crush so to say. She probably would not lack hesitation to join us if it was for him."

Sakura gasped at the description. "Sensei, you can't mean Hinata…"

"I do. You know her?"

"Of course. Well…I don't talk to her much…but really Sensei, she can't do this."

"And why not?"

A grumble lolled in the back of her throat. She contemplated how she could put it without offending Hinata. "If we want someone from the Hyuga Clan, make it someone more…capable…like Neji."

"You're saying she's weak?"

"Not just in physical strength…but emotionally too," Sasuke intervened, siding with Sakura on the matter. "I told you we can't carry lightweights like that around."

"You two underestimate her," Kakashi retorted. "It's difficult to explain it. In Kurenai's words, to see her true potential is to see beyond her timid exterior…to see her willingness to change it…And perhaps change would be good for her, if you catch my drift…"

He now held two fingers up.

"My second choice…is one of Team Ten's members. Indolence and lack of effort are qualities Asuma Sarutobi has informed me of, but…I supposed we could see past them…you two know him as Shikamaru."

"Makes sense," said Sasuke as he fiddled with his nails. "He's smart. He's strong, but what's his connection to Naruto?"

"Mmm…none really…they're acquaintances, but they've no strong relationship as far as I know."

"Then why him?"

"Regardless of how unreliable he may seem…there's no doubt he has a sense of duty. He's chunin, and a true ninja of that level must understand by now that a Leaf ninja does not abandon one in need. If we explained the situation, I'm…_semi_-positive he'd comply. But hey…what's life as a werewolf weighed upon another's…potential death?"

Sakura faltered at his attempt to tease them, mainly at the word "death". The mere thought of it made her gut churn. Frightened, she pushed the word away with other random thoughts, swallowing the accumulating lump in her throat.

"Who's the last one, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked. Kakashi treaded his fingers through his hair, dislocating bangs that had fallen before his eye.

"Right…My final decision…may be the most crucial man to join our cause. Do you remember your Ninja Academy teacher, Iruka Umino?"

Sakura furrowed a brow, delving into her earlier memories. "Sort of. Been a long time since I've seen him, let alone thought about him," she replied.

"Hinata may have been strange, and Shikamaru too, but this, by far, makes for the strangest choice you've made yet…" Sasuke stated bluntly. "I suppose you owe us another riddle…"

Kakashi chuckled warm-heartedly. "Trust me, knowing Iruka like I do, he's the most accurate to fit the requirements. What is Iruka to Naruto? Mere Academy teacher? Or perhaps something much more? Iruka holds Naruto very dear, as they share identical pasts. Constantly is worried…bothers me a lot for it…but I'm sure Naruto…cares the same for him. Iruka is…like a father figure to him."

"Hm, I guess so," Sasuke agreed. "But he must be a busy man. Even if he cared that much, wouldn't it be a little bit of a problem if he were to be one of us?"

"Maybe…but…why don't you put yourself in a father's shoes right now? You're about to go on a very important mission to retrieve some documents stolen by an enemy. Just as you're about to leave, you're told your son has been captured by a completely different enemy. What do you do? Continue with your assigned mission? Or would you chase after the bandits who kidnapped your son?"

"That's a stupid question."

"Then you obviously don't understand what kind of person Iruka is."

"I understand, but you don't need all the rubbish crap in between."

Kakashi shrugged. "You're the one who asked for a riddle."

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_Eight days later…_

Beside Lady Hokage and her assistant Shizune, Iruka Umino sat behind the assignments desk, a bored expression crossing his face. Tsunade was discussing a previous mission with a genin team he was unfamiliar with. Tonton laid near the paperwork set before him as she enjoyed her afternoon nap. It had been a slow day for Iruka, no missions for him to carry out, no students to teach…

Fiddling with a pencil, he blocked out Tsunade's angry yelling but he couldn't help but flinch at her shrill, unforgiving tone. She wasn't a bad Hokage…sure she had a bit of an attitude…a little drinking problem…deep in gambling debts…but her heart was in the right place. He was fonder of the Third, but having no particular reason, he had no right to say she was not his equal. Naruto seemed to have taken a liking to her, though failing to call her by her deserved title.

Grandma Tsunade…the name made him laugh even among his thoughts.

But again, Naruto was out of his touch. Iruka had not seen his former student for well over a month, and it was running on two. It pained him to even hear his name. He sighed some, watching out of the corner of his eye as Shizune diffused the conflict Tsunade seemed to have with this genin team. The ruckus had awaked the small pink pig. It squealed at Iruka annoyed. He ignored it.

After the team left the office, it was only those three left remaining in the room. All the other office workers had gone home long ago. He was the only one who was required to stay, for they cannot leave the desk unattended to. He'd be paid more for the overtime.

"Iruka, are you all right?" asked Shizune sweetly, holding the still drowsy Tonton in her arms. The pig let out a little yawn as he snapped out of his trance.

"Oh, yeah…I guess so…"

"Guess? That's not a definite answer."

"I'm just kinda…thinking about Naruto…y'know?"

"You've been thinking a lot about him lately," Tsunade announced smugly. She rubbed her head, moaning. "Who'd want _that_ headache bothering them all the time…?"

"Have you seen him lately Tsunade-sama? I mean…he comes in for missions…doesn't he?"

"Well…" she began, thinking of the last time she saw the boy. "He hasn't been coming in when scheduled…actually…none of the members of Team Seven have reported to the office for weeks."

"Have you tried to locate them?"

"Every time I sent someone, they'd come back with some excuse Kakashi made. _I'm feeling ill today_. _I had a long night_. _I have prior engagements_ etcetera, etcetera…I'm really starting to get annoyed by it."

"Sasuke and Sakura?"

She shook her head. "No where in sight…they're good at avoiding us, supposedly."

"Kind of suspicious, don't you think?" Shizune added. Tonton squealed her agreement, adjusting her position in her owner's grasp. Her small ears drooped.

"Something's up with them…I just can't piece what," the Hokage mumbled, crossing her arms in deep thought.

"I fear it might have something to do with Naruto…" Iruka stated. "…You've noticed how he's been acting lately…secluding himself…and he never seems like he's all that happy. I try to move on…as I should be more worried about my current students…but…I can't help but be concerned. He means a lot to me."

Tsunade sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "The little punk means a lot to me too…I'm also quite bothered by his behavior. Perhaps it's just him…growing up. He isn't a snot-nosed twelve year-old anymore…he just reached his teen years. Adolescence is a tough time for everyone."

"I dunno…" he muttered, doubtful of her reasoning.

"Iruka…Go home, rest, get Naruto off your mind. Just leave the matter in my hands and I promise it will be solved," Tsunade suggested, reaching under her desk for a white bottle and a small cup. She filled the glass with the alcoholic beverage it contained, absentmindedly stirring it before taking a drink.

"M'lady…are you sure it's a good idea to be drinking so early?" Shizune questioned nervously. She had been trying so hard to break this habit of Tsunade's, but has failed miserably. Tsunade opened one eye, shooting her a smile, playfully refusing to respond.

Iruka stood up, straightening the papers on the table before he walked towards the door. Just before he was ready to set off, another ninja chewing on a wooden needle stepped through the door. His laid-back dark eyes traced over the room as if searching for something. As soon as his eyes met with Iruka, he walked in, baring a folded sheet of paper.

"Iruka Umino?" he queried, holding out the document. Iruka nodded. "It's a note from Kakashi Hatake."

A look of skepticism flashed in his eyes. He took the letter in hand and opened it; he quickly scanned over the writing within it. _"Meet me at my apartment as soon as you can. We need to talk. Come alone."_

He raised an eyebrow at the phrase "come alone." It was certainly a strange thing for him to request, but he honored his wishes. Glancing back upon the Hokage and her assistant, he was sure they were too preoccupied with the matter of the alcohol. It was best he not tell them, as he did not wish to cause them any alarm. Tucking the note away in his vest, he gave off a grateful smile to the ninja.

"Thank you, Genma."

"No problem."

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An unfathomable loll of conversation and the clang of kitchenware were the only sounds heard within the building. It was later in the evening, and Team Ten's members decided to relax at their favorite restaurant as a self reward (mostly for Choji). The three sat at a booth, patiently awaiting their order.

Shikamaru rested his palm on his face, staring out the window with a blank look in his eyes. He wasn't too thrilled about eating, but it was for his friend. Enjoying the silence, he took a deep breath in, catching scent of the various grilled and fried meats served here. As clouds carelessly flew by, he again desired to be among them, but his feet were bound to the earth below as all humans.

The first round of boneless ribs was placed on the built-in grill, catching his attention. Choji chuckled as he edgily awaited the meal to cook. Ino let out a sigh, rather annoyed by Choji's obsession with food.

"It smells so good…but waiting is the part I absolutely hate…" he grumbled, holding his growling stomach. "I'm so hungry…"

"Don't fret. It'll be ready soon enough," Shikamaru reassured. After a short wait, the meat was done. Choji shoved most of it onto his plate, while Ino grabbed only two. Shikamaru took none, lost in his enchantment with the sky.

The bell to the door of the shop chimed, indicating another customer. Shikamaru's gaze rose, catching sight a black topped head over the booth seat. Raising an eyebrow, he absentmindedly watched him walk about. He reached with his chopsticks to grab a bite of the food. When he realized everything had already been devoured by Choji, he grimaced.

"Did you really have to eat _all _of them, Choji? C'mon, I'm hungry too," he complained. "This is such a drag…"

"Sorry, Shikamaru. I…didn't think you wanted any. You kind of spaced out," Choji replied. He pointed at Ino defensively. "Ino took some too."

"Yeah, not as much as you though!" she yelled over the limit of an inside voice. Choji strained away, fearing his life if he said much more. Her temper was a nasty one, and it wasn't something to pick at.

She sighed to calm herself down, resting her head on a hand. Glancing to the side out of impulse, watched as other restaurant goers enjoyed their meals. This certainly wasn't the first place she wanted to go to, but she did not wish to go somewhere alone. Shikamaru and Choji were the only two she could spend time with now-a-days, lacking suitable companions in the female department.

Shikamaru had been watching the mystery customer since he entered. He was very fidgety and irritated according to his body language. Suspicious behaviors such as these picked at Shikamaru's interests, so far to the point he'd get into the business of anything he wasn't supposed to. It was natural for a genius such as him to have a wandering curiosity.

It seemed the boy had given up. Promptly, he exited the restaurant. He hadn't been able to identify him exactly, but Shikamaru had a feeling it was someone he was acquainted with. Choji motioned a nearby waiter for another round of ribs, but Shikamaru wasn't interested anymore.

Watching the stranger walk past his window, he finally got a good look at his features. His eyes widened a bit, surprised by his presence, though more so by how he different he looked…

_Sasuke Uchiha…_

He retained the broody look he always did, but his eyes had changed considerably in the emotion they expressed: no longer calm and collected, but hateful, spiteful. His hair was a bit longer than he remembered as well. As he passed, Sasuke glanced to the side, giving Shikamaru an angry, almost crazed wide-eyed glare, intensified by the red cracks in the whites of his eyes.

But he did not stop. He continued on his path, leaving Shikamaru with a case of the creeps.

Taking a deep breath, he held back a shudder. That look he gave him…it would be forever imprinted in his mind. It was unlike him to get scared so easily…but then again…Sasuke was a scary guy.

He rubbed his eyes, exhaustion riding up on him. It wasn't physical fatigue, but his mind was exceptionally tired. All he wanted was to leave, but he couldn't just leave his partners hanging. Quickly, he formulated an excuse to allow him an escape route.

"Guys…I've…got a stomachache. I really can't eat," Shikamaru muttered, standing up. "I'm gonna go home and rest."

"But I ordered the next round just for you," protested Choji.

"I'm sorry, but…I really couldn't eat a bite."

Shikamaru waved good-bye, holding his stomach to add to the act. As he walked away, Choji gave him a concerned expression. He grumbled in disappointment. Now he only had Ino to socialize with, and that was rarely any fun.

"Wonder what's eatin' him," he mumbled to Ino.

"Who cares?" she complained.

"I do…"

For safety purposes, Shikamaru went the opposite direction of Sasuke regardless his home was easier reached the other way. The lacking of others on the street nerved him. It was fairly quiet beside his footsteps and the wind. His eyes were keen on everything, every movement, every sound. What did he have to worry about, though? It was just a normal day, a normal evening…

He heard an unidentified sound come from behind him. He flinched, turning abruptly to where it came. His heart raced for a moment, until he realized it was only a bird taking flight. It landed in a nearby tree, pecking at its wings to clean them. Letting out a sigh of relief, he chuckled at his stupidity. There was nothing to be afraid of.

The second he turned around, his arm was seized by an unknown force. Every part of him froze immediately, startled by the cold hand upon his flesh.

"It's impolite to stare at someone…" the perpetrator whispered ominously.

As he was pulled into a dark alley, he struggled blindly against whoever was attacking him. He could see his outline, but little defining features were shown. Though, he had a fairly accurate assumption to who it was. He cried out at a punch to his face, but it was highly unlikely for anyone to hear it. He kicked at the dark figure, missing him by less than a centimeter. The miss left him wide open.

The person took good advantage of that opening. A sharp pain exploded from his abdomen as the figure's fist connected. His back hit a garbage can, knocking it over and into the street. He panted heavily, trying to recover from the sudden pains. Letting out a violent cough, he looked up fearfully. tTwo bright red eyes stuck out to him in the darkness.

And he was foolishly staring right into them.

The last thing he remembered was hearing a soft, dark laughter.

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"Come on, Hinata. It's getting late," complained Kiba as he, his canine companion, and Shino awaited Hinata to be done with her daily training. For an odd reason, she was more determined than ever to perfect her taijutsu, and the post had been suffering for it. Her palms were red and blue from the bruising, but she cared little. She'd never master the Gentle Fist if she could not tolerate it.

"It's time to call it a day," said Shino, adjusting his sunglasses.

Delivering another attack, the wood splintered a little more. She heaved a sigh, lowering her arms for a moment's rest. Smiling softly, she looked over her shoulder to face her teammates.

"You…go on ahead. Sensei told me…I have to work a little harder to stay in fighting shape," Hinata explained.

"But, we think you're working yourself a little too hard," Kiba scolded. Akamaru let out a short whine to express his concern.

"I'll be done soon, so…you go ahead and head home."

"Okay…"

Complying with her request, the two turned in the other direction, walking side by side. Akamaru crouched to pounce. He barked before attempting to jump onto Kiba's head. For the past few months he'd failed for a reason he could not understand, but this time, he'd get it. As he jumped, Kiba fell forward with the medium sized dog lying on his back. Kiba glowered.

"Sorry, Buddy, but you're getting way too big to hitch a ride on me," said Kiba. An ashamed look flared in Akamaru's eyes. The dog whined disappointedly, rolling off his back. As he stood, he could faintly hear Hinata giggling at him. He gave her an annoyed expression, before laughing along with her.

"Heh…see you later, Hinata."

Once they were out of sight, she resumed her training methods. However, she began to slow down. Her arms were heavy with exhaustion and the pain in her hands was becoming intense. Along with the Gentle Fist's use of chakra, it was likely she couldn't go much farther. She just had to push herself to the limit, though, maybe even beyond that. After all, that is how Naruto became so strong.

The second Naruto had crossed her mind, she ceased her every movement. Her heart was suddenly burdened with her undying emotions. She glanced down at the ground. Lately, she'd been spending her days simply trying to catch a glimpse of him. Her attempts at it had all been in vain. He was nowhere to be found.

Exhaling deeply, she sat herself on the ground, lost in her thoughts. It was a plain desire to want to see someone, but some force was preventing it. It was not a requirement to have a conversation. His smiling face said it all.

"_I miss him so much…"_

Beyond the shrubs and the surrounding scenery, Hinata was being tracked. Carefully and consistently, her eyes were set on this seemingly easy target, waiting for her moment to finally strike. That is how Sasuke had instructed her to do it, so why would she contradict it? He's far more experienced then her or their sensei.

Simply following her was a bore, as she didn't do much more than aggressively pound that stump in. Sakura was quite impressed with her to be honest. She didn't fit the timid character they had stereotyped her as, nor did she seem weak. With that in mind, Sakura began to understand why her sensei had chosen this specimen in the first place.

She faltered her position, her stomach suddenly aching. Preventing any noise of discomfort, she winced as she held her abdomen. The sickening rose up her throat. At the strangest times during the day, these exact feelings would come upon her and leave after a few minutes. It was difficult to withstand.

Her eyes trailed up to the sky shrouded by the canopies. Night was to begin soon. Regardless of all she's said, all she's done just to make Sasuke happy, nothing would calm her nerves of her impending doom. Her condition was an ill fated one, no matter what anyone said.

In reality, she hated Sasuke for this curse. She hated what kind of person he was becoming under the influence of it. He just wasn't Sasuke anymore. It would never concern her if they could be beasts once in a while, but he insisted to being an animal at all times. It broke her heart.

_"All right...here I go..." _

Abandoning her hiding spot, she emerged from the bushes. As she approached, Hinata turned towards her in confusion. At recognizing her face, she smiled a friendly smile.

"Oh, Sakura...uh...h-hi," she greeted nervously.

"Hey, Hinata. What are you...doing out here?" Sakura asked casually.

"J-just...uh...finishing some training."

_"She didn't stutter when she talked to Kiba and Shino...Is she...afraid of me?"_ she thought, her views on Hinata fluctuating yet again. If fear was the case, she would have to do something to ease the tensions. Glancing at the splintered training post, she raised an eyebrow puzzled.

"Either you've been here all day or you and that stump have a problem."

Hinata giggled at Sakura's joke. "I've...been here all day."

"Aren't you tired at all?"

"A...little...but...I can't stop…cause I'm tired."

Sakura gave a sigh._ "She's like Naruto...doesn't know when to give up on something."_

"I think you might want to make an exception for today," she suggested, taking a seat next to her. Lightly, she took one of Hinata's palms in hand. "These injuries look really bad."

Hinata bit her lip, nodding with shame. She winced at the aching sensation as Sakura observed the wounds. An idea to gain her trust crossed her mind.

"Here...I can't exactly heal it all together, but I can ease the pain," she stated. "Put them both towards me, palms up."

Sakura's hands gave off a green aura as she placed them over Hinata's. Concentration was key when using a medical jutsu. Closing her eyes, she made sure nothing was on her mind but the usage of this technique. Her breathing and heart rate slowed to aide her. Hinata's soft irises glimmered with green light as she watched in awe.

In moment's time, the swelling was reduced along with the pain it once brought.

"I...didn't know you could do that...Sakura..." Hinata mumbled, eyes set on her healing hands.

"I've been learning from the Hokage."

"It's…incredible."

"Thanks," Sakura breathed, her tone shifting from cheery to gloomy. She should feel good about the deed done, but soon it would mean nothing…healing one pain, causing another…

"No, I should thank you," Hinata responded, setting her hands in her lap. Throughout the silence that followed, she glanced back and forth between Sakura and the sky that she seemed so interested in. "You don't seem too…happy…for some reason…"

Sakura did not answer her, but turned her head to look her in the eye. She wasn't about to deny it or tell a lie; she was ashamed with herself enough as it was. Taking advantage of the calm between them, she readied her explanation.

"I…hope it…isn't s-something I said…" Hinata murmured.

"No, of course not, Hinata," Sakura said honestly. "It's just…I'm a little worried is all."

"Worried…about what?"

Her heart sank in her chest, the name she was about to speak ringing in her head. Her eyes stung with tears she refused to let go of. Ignoring the emotional burden, she finally let his name pass her lips.

"Naruto…"

It hurt her to say it as much as it hurt Hinata to hear it. The mentioning of her beloved put her in a state of bliss, yet concern. If Sakura was this upset, perhaps he was hurt, or in danger of being hurt. Even she could determine that much.

"N-Naruto-kun? You're worried about Naruto?"

"Yeah…"

"Is there…something wrong with him?"

"I…yeah…you could say that."

Hinata glanced downwards, fiddling with her fingers as to keep calm. However, her insides panicked. There was no point in lashing out or jumping to any hasty conclusions. It would be impolite of her to do so.

"S-so…what is it exactly?"

A while passed and Sakura had yet to say anything, hesitating as much as she could. There was a lot to tell, but what of it was needed and what was pointless? She could just say he ran away and they wanted her to help find him, leaving everything about her condition and Naruto's out of the picture. Then, when the full moon finally came…she'd be exposed as a liar.

But would Hinata even believe her if she said, "I'm a werewolf."? Or even if she said, "Naruto's a were-Nine Tailed Fox."? It would likely scare her, make her think she's gone insane. Even if she managed to slip those facts in, and Hinata understood her, how would she react when she proclaimed this very night would be the end of her normal days?

In her heart, in her mind, she did not want to do this to Hinata, but…What would her sensei think of her if she failed? What would Sasuke think?

The silence was beginning to irritate Hinata, a rare event indeed. The way Sakura was procrastinating to answer her question was both annoying and suspicious.

"Okay. It's…kind of a long story to tell…and really I hardly know half of it. Could you just…bear with me?" Sakura requested, her eyes pleading as she stared Hinata in the eye once more. A soft, sweet smile was given to her.

"O-Of course, Sakura."

"All right…I guess…this all started…a little over a year ago…"

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End of Chapter

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	10. The Recruiting Session Part II

**Chapter 9**

_December 12__th_

The Recruiting Session – Part II

The blackout he experienced was more refreshing to his weary mind than he'd thought. However, once it ended his head ached fiercely and his body felt stiff. His abdomen was still sore from the impact it took earlier.

Shikamaru yawned, expressing both boredom and exhaustion. That would be the last time he ever went anywhere alone. It wasn't one of his most intelligent moves ever made. It reminded him of a time he was playing Shogi with Asuma. He wasn't thinking clearly, moved the wrong piece, and it nearly cost him the game.

However, he emerged victorious as he always did. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly work that way here.

His eyes finally fluttered open. They burned horribly, so much that he had to shut them again. He hadn't been able to catch any glimpses of his surroundings during that short line of vision. To correct that, he attempted to rub the burn away with his hand.

But, his arm refused to move.

In surprise, Shikamaru's eyes snapped open, ignoring the pain. He looked down, finding thick ropes strapping him to a tall oak tree. Growling angrily, he struggled against them for a moment or two, failing miserably. He grimaced, disbelieving his situation.

"_Excellent…one moment I'm relaxing in a restaurant…the next…I'm attacked by a maniac…and the next…I'm tied to a tree. This has to be my worst day ever…" _

Taking a moment to examine the ropes, he concluded his situation was a troublesome one._ "Whoever did the tying is pretty handy with a rope…" _he complimented silently as he observed the work. "_All my limbs are tied with separate ropes to further immobilize me. And to top it off…my arms are crossed over my chest as opposed to behind my back…" _He strained to move his hands closer together; they touched, but he could make no symbols with them. "_If they were tied behind my back, I could easily make the hand sign for the escape jutsu. But this way…there's no way I can make a hand sign."_

Shikamaru tapped his head on the bark, groaning in irritation. _"When will life be easy?" _

"You're up, I see…" muttered the same voice he heard before falling unconscious. Directly across from him, leaning on a tree, was the annoying Uchiha as he anticipated. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Sasuke laughed in amusement. "Sadly…you've made everything too simple for me."

"This is one sick joke you're pulling, Uchiha," Shikamaru retorted. "I don't know what your problem is, but you ought to let me go quick. I'm in a bad—"

At getting a closer look of his clothing, he stopped mid-statement. His eyes widened at the light green, unzipped flak vest put overtop Sasuke's black shirt. He knew Sasuke was no chunin, so it was impossible for him to own one. Normally, Shikamaru would shake this off, but the bottom rim had a very noticeable tear, a spot that was nicked during one of Shikamaru's recent missions. Only one logical explanation could be reached.

"M-my vest! What are you wearing my damn vest for?" he questioned frantically.

"Oh, this?" Sasuke quipped, feeling over it with his eyes. He tugged at the tall collar, adjusting it so it would not conflict with his shirt's. "I tried it on…didn't think you'd mind. Besides…" He grinned devilishly, chuckling darkly between his teeth. "I thought it should be removed…before_ it_ begins."

"_What a freak…" _thought Shikamaru exasperatedly.

"So, you just go around knocking random people out to try on their clothes? That's real creepy, y'know?" Shikamaru commented, making another attempt to perform the hand sign needed.

"You're not going to get out of those ropes on your own. I've made sure of it."

"Going to a lot of trouble to wear that vest, huh?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Not really. The vest was a bonus on my behalf." He slipped it off with a pouty expression. The argument about it could then cease. Personally, he disliked the vest for its bulkiness, but if he ever obtained one he'd wear it for the convenience sake. "I'll let you down, but…It'll require you to comply with my demands."

Shikamaru grimaced, cocking an eyebrow to display his increasing boredom. His neck bent over for lack of effort to keep it up. "All right, what do you want?" Anticipation for a condition he would dislike crossed his dull tone.

"Ah…not yet. You'll have to wait…" Sasuke interrupted himself to determine the time he had before his transformation. It certainly wasn't too far off. He smirked at the sky very pleased. "Hm, not too long now."

"_I don't like this…and I didn't like it from the beginning. Now he's making me wait? What a drag…" _Shikamaru thought. Nothing but the desire to escape his bindings crossed his mind afterwards. As he struggled against them, he understood why the freak graduated first in his class. Sasuke was skilled, very skilled.

In reality, he was just as adroit, but his strong attributes never showed themselves throughout the academy days. Getting zeros on tests did not mean he didn't know the material. Rarely did he pick up the pencil provided, and often he would use the paper as a pillow, but the main reason he consistently failed his examinations was the fact that his drool did not suffice as an accurate utensil.

But, he graduated like everyone else, though nearly as scarcely as Naruto had.

To Sasuke, this was much too boring. His previous target was stationary as was the new one. How unentertaining it would be if he were to bite him as helpless immobile prey. A chase, a hunt…That was what he really wanted.

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Post-haste, Iruka had made his way to the apartment building located fairly close to the outskirts of the village. As he walked up the stairs, his mind was ever busy, focusing completely on the note. Its written words rang through his mind as if Kakashi had spoken them to him. The emphasis put on come alone made him feel threatened.

Lightly tapping on the correct door, he awaited Kakashi to answer him. His hand felt stiff, frozen a centimeter away from the wood. His ears picked up on movement behind the walls, indicating he was home.

"_Calm down, Iruka…this is nothing but a simple chat," _he demanded himself to believe. Not even his own reasoning seemed to slide through his thick wall of paranoia.

"Come in," he heard Kakashi say. Reluctantly, he grasped the knob, tentatively entering the small one room house. It was dark, no lights brightening its scope beside the faint sun. The man he'd come to see laid on his bed, an aloof, relaxed look in his eye. His visible skin was noticeably pale.

"Hi," Kakashi greeted in a cheerful tone. Iruka narrowed his eyes. "Took you a while to get here, hm?"

"You know, the Hokage isn't pleased with your absence…What have you been doing?" Iruka interrogated pressingly. As if in deep thought, Kakashi rubbed his chin.

"I've…been around."

"That really won't cut it with her…"

"Oh, I know, but…I…" Kakashi gazed longingly at the sky through the windowpane, his heart racing nervously.

"Eventually she'll catch on to your games."

Sparks of fury ignited, but nothing too intense grew within him.

"I'm playing no games. I have more important things to be worrying about than work right now."

He motioned Iruka to sit in a chair as he carefully picked out his word choices to make sure the environment remains calm. Not only would it be harder for him, but other patrons occupying the building would be irritated. He watched him carefully with his eye, sitting up-right to face him directly.

"Did you tell the Hokage you were coming to see me?"

"No, I did not. She was busy at the time I got the message."

Lightly rubbing his hands over his face, he ignored Iruka's increasingly annoyed expression. No method existed for him to avoid the facts that would upset Iruka the most. He would have to cope with the sensitivity and tension between them.

"I've been keeping something from you," Kakashi openly admitted. At Iruka's puzzled stare, he sighed in his depression. "Something…about Naruto…"

Iruka's eyes widened considerably. His steady breathing was the only sound he produced as he patiently awaited Kakashi to continue.

"I…am sorry…Iruka. I've tried everything I could to take care of him, but it seems I have failed…"

"Just tell me already…what about Naruto?"

Hesitating, Kakashi scratched the side of his head, his eye searching for a distraction. It was tough for him to voice the situation, especially considering how touchy Iruka would be about it. A glare was being bored into his skull.

"Iruka, you and I are both aware of the demon sealed within Naruto. We both have passed our knowledge onto him so he and others may get past that… so he can grow into the ninja he dreams of being. He's a troublemaker…a joker…but we both know he's a good kid at heart. He would never deliberately hurt you or me or anyone," he lectured, avoiding his purpose for speaking with him further.

"I know those things, so why are you telling me them?" Anger was evident in Iruka's tone.

"I'm trying to get a point across…to make it easier for you to understand what I am going to tell you."

"Then tell me."

Holding his hands up defensively, Kakashi edged backward some. "Okay, okay…" He took a deep breath for good luck, praying to the heavens he would be spared after the disclosure of this information.

"He's left us…Naruto…he left the village. He ran away…"

Iruka's heart skipped a beat, the short sound of a gasp emitting from his parted lips. He stared off into space in a daze, his mind unable to register it. He knew Naruto, and this was far beyond his general behavior. His breaths trembled.

"Wh-what…did you…"

"I'm sorry…but he's—"

"When did this happen?!" His volume had increased tenfold from his weak whisper. He bared his teeth at Kakashi, sitting on the edge of his seat, preparing to throttle him at any given moment.

"He ran off…a month ago."

"A month?! He's been gone this long and you haven't told me?"

Kakashi sighed, running his fingers through his locks of silver hair. "I was afraid of the way you would react…" He eyed him, sending him a signal to calm down. A shameful look arose in Iruka's dark eyes as his shoulders slumped with the burden of his grief. His heart ached with equal pain.

"Start talking…_now_," he demanded selfishly as he gazed at the wood floor to avoid looking at Kakashi.

"It's a bit of a long story…Are you sure you're up to hearing it?"

"It's about Naruto. Of course I will hear it."

"Very well…For a long time now I've been watching Naruto from a distance. He's been acting abnormally since his thirteenth birthday and since then, villagers have been brutally murdered, nothing left of them but their rotting carcasses. Two months ago…my suspicions were strengthened with his odd conduct during our mission day. I finally caved into my desire and decided it was time I get to the bottom of things.

"But…I had a meeting to attend on the _only _night I was sure I would get my best information: full moon, the very night he would always leave. I found an alternative; I hired someone to do my dirty work for me, one of my other students, Sasuke Uchiha. We had agreed that he would return to me by midnight to report, but hours passed and by two I had realized something must have happened.

"I was worried and chased their trail. I did not locate them until early morning, but I discovered a scene of ruin and bloodshed, two fairly injured beings lying among the blood: Sasuke and Naruto. After taking them to the emergency room, I left to convey what had occurred that night. Obviously the two had met in a fairly deadly clash, but it was no normal battle. Their cuts were not from knives, but from claws and teeth. I had to interrogate the answers out of Naruto."

"And what did he tell you?" questioned Iruka.

"Well…he began to ramble on about how it isn't his fault…that he didn't mean to hurt Sasuke," he replied, recalling how hysteric Naruto became. "And then…he mentioned the Nine-Tailed Fox…how it has made him into a demon…and that it's the Fox that made him kill those people…and attempt to kill Sasuke."

"Y-you mean…"

"Yes. Naruto was guilty for those murders, though…I would not call him guilty…It isn't his fault that the seal is failing him. See…the seal has been deteriorating for some time now, and it isn't functioning quite right. The Fox has direct access to all parts of Naruto's body, including his mind. No doubt it has taken advantage of that. The only factor that has really puzzled me since then…is why the full moon caused this in the first place…"

"The full moon, huh?"

"Something about it has become the source to the Fox's influence over Naruto's mind. Beneath a full moon…Naruto…is Naruto no more…but an abomination of the monster that ravaged our village so many years ago. A Nine-Tailed Fox. He looses control to the Fox and becomes an animal of unimaginable power. It is Naruto's hate and anger that fuels its desire to kill and certainly has not hesitated to doing so. The concept is quite similar to that of werewolves, if you do know what those are…"

Iruka's dark eyes seemed to darken a shade throughout the whole revelation. If only Kakashi hadn't been so skilled at painting a picture with words, his woe would be less severe. This Naruto described was a stranger to him. Little if nothing seemed sane. More so, he refused to believe the jonin and his nonsense, his lies.

He would never put it past Naruto to some day collapse under the weight of everything the heartless people among him have burdened him with. But… according to Kakashi…he's fallen much farther then he ever imagined. So far…so far out of his reach.

Naruto…hateful…angry…murderer…monster…

The picture of Naruto in his head sickened him. Simple thoughts of his very favorite student suffering such pain too caused him anguish. He held his head in despair, taking deep breaths.

"It's hard to understand, I know, but…I've only scratched on the surface of what I need you to hear…" Kakashi declared after allowing adequate time for letting these concepts sink into Iruka's memory. "Two months ago…the night I sent Sasuke…something happened…a bizarre change in Sasuke. Supposedly, while in the second form…Naruto attacked him out of fury. A bite was taken out of Sasuke, and since he survived it, he too had to suffer a transformation into beast…but…it was not the same were Naruto had changed into. For an odd, unexplainable reason…he became were_wolf_.

"For a while, I thought this was a good thing. Naruto had another like him at his side…and Sasuke was a bit more reasonable than him so I could trust him to help Naruto. However, this wasn't the case. He and Naruto began to share more and more traits and behaviors…I had no idea how much and how quickly this "curse" affected Sasuke's personality. I was worried he would have little control over himself too; I debated if the Hokage and the ANBU should have been told…but…I refused to go to them…"

"Why would you hesitate if you were so anxious?"

"I…don't know. I felt it would be…dishonorable for me to tell their secret when they had trusted me and me only with it…"

"Dishonorable? Maybe, but it might have been the right thing to do…"

"If only I had the common sense. If I may…I must finish the tale, though…" Iruka signaled him to resume. "I suppose…the two weren't quite…satisfied with just two of them. They knew a simple bite would instantaneously create another were…and they knew two whom they were well acquainted to. So, they planned on creating more I suppose. It shocked me of how elaborate their tactics were…it was clever…near sheer brilliance…even more so that _I_ couldn't sniff it out."

"So, they succeeded?" His iris trailed elsewhere, a small nod following that gesture. "There are more then. Do you know who they are?"

"My female trainee, Sakura Haruno, was a victim, bitten by Sasuke. I felt…terrible…I couldn't save her or myself from their attack. I guess…I sort of panicked in the presence of such frightening creatures. I've faced some fears before, but my will to fight had been staked by their teeth and claws, weapons I seldom have to combat."

Iruka narrowed his eyes, barely catching the subliminal message encrypted in his stringing of statements. "Then you are the other."

A mischievous smile crept under the dark blue mask obscuring his face from the world. Holding a hand over the right side of his chest, he bowed his head, laughing to himself.

"Correct," said Kakashi. Solemnly, Iruka glared downwards. He was disgusted to say the least that Naruto would do such a thing to someone. "It was…fairly painful…I ached for days after that life-changing night, physically…and emotionally."

"As I understand it would…"

"After the…transformation was complete…I was no longer myself. I got angry with Naruto…and for some reason…Naruto only, even though I knew Sasuke was involved as well. I was prepared to attack, possibly kill him…but…before I had a chance…I said something…terribly, terribly wrong…" he mumbled, his voice cracking at given intervals. His head had lowered in his sorrow and guilt.

"What? What did you say?" Iruka questioned softly, yet pressingly. Kakashi hesitated to speak. Lifting his head enough to look him in the eye again, he breathed in deeply.

"I…called him a monster…a beast…a demon…"

A malicious glare was shot through his chest. Anger had risen up on Iruka in a split second. His muscles tensed, and his fists rested in his lap; he gritted his teeth. The man across from him maintained his relaxed look, irritating him more.

"That…is the most…idiotic thing you have ever done…" he growled to him, preserving a calm voice.

"I know. It was wrong of me to say…after a life of being labeled as so…to be told that by someone you cared about…would be devastating."

"You hurt him, Kakashi! That's probably why he decided to run!"

"I realize that…and…I really…truly want to let him know…I did not mean it. I don't think he's a monster; he's only confused, in pain. I could have tried to understand him a little more, but…we must bring him home…whether I really understand him or not."

"And how do you propose we do that, Kakashi?"

His body turned towards his window, fully aware of how close_ it_ was. It was all soon to commence, and even now he could feel the change stirring inside him. Oddly…it was quite exciting. Running his tongue over his teeth, he gave Iruka a dark, foreboding eye.

"Well…"

Arising from his bed, Kakashi stepped to his window and opened the blinds. Blankly, he stared at the starry night sky. Iruka observed him as he untied the headband symbolizing his loyalty. He threw it on his mattress, the plate landing face down.

"There is one…and only one way you may be of any service to Naruto…"

"Then please, give me that way and I will carry it out with no hesitation."

The next item of clothing removed was his vest, laid over top the headband.

"Lock the door, Iruka."

"What?"

"Do it. We don't want any intruders now do we?"

Abiding to his request, he stood from his seat. Grabbing the dial on the knob, he turned it to its locked position. After completing the task, he turned back to Kakashi, staring at his back in confusion.

"_He's acting stranger by the second…what is this man up to?" _Iruka questioned himself. Kakashi removed the undershirt, leaving his fairly pale skin bare. Finally, he eradicated his face of the mask, the dark cloth dropping to his feet.

"You're starting to scare me a little, Kakashi," the chunin admitted openly, attempting to smile. The jonin let out a malicious chuckle, causing Iruka to flinch.

"Am I?" His uncovered sharingan gazed into the dark blue abyss alongside the normal eye, a privilege it seldom had. The full moon was rising in place of the sun, but had yet to be strong enough to afflict him.

"Fear's a strange thing isn't it? It's like a consuming fire, a flooding of emotions. A human is certainly vulnerable to the instinct of fight or flight…but…a gift has been granted to a select few…a gift in which feeble human reflexes mean nothing. An animal's instincts are far more powerful, twice as effective in the face of fear: fight or die trying.

"What do you want, Iruka? Do you want to get out of this room alive? Or would you rather die for no cause? If you leave here alive, you'll be forever entwined with the ways of a beast…never again to walk a normal human…If you leave here dead…" Kakashi allowed a bout of laughter to escape. "Well…self explanatory."

"Wh-what are you talking about? You're saying you're going to kill me?"

"If you resist or attempt to escape…I'll have no choice. I have to remain under cover you know. Can't have you telling anyone any unnecessary information, can I?"

"You can't do this to me, Kakashi…"

"You said you would carry it out with no hesitation."

"I don't care. I want to help, but not in this way!"

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The darkness was overcastting quickly, spreading over the sky like a foreboding storm. Sakura shivered, though not from the frigidness of the air, but her fear. Still she was procrastinating from telling Hinata the truth, but the level of insanity this situation held could never be voiced in a manner so easy. As she held herself arm in arm, she rubbed her thumb against her flesh in deep thought.

Her nerves racked; her blood flow was slowing. Her heart had not the courage to withstand it. Humanity was precious to her, yet she did not quite appreciate that gift until she had been changed. The treasure had been stolen, ripped away with no mercy. She would do the same, not on free will, but obedience to her sensei.

"You haven't seen him in a long time...haven't you?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

"W-well...no...I haven't seen him...for...months..." Hinata replied, the realization just hitting her.

"Last time I saw him...I fell unconscious."

"What? Unconscious?"

"W-well...Sasuke was the one responsible for that...but...I did get to catch a few glimpses of him 'fore I did."

"Wh-what happened?"

"A lot...Hinata...too much for me to voice it all..." Relieving herself with a sigh, Sakura rested her hands behind her back. She stared into the sky uneasily. "But after that night...Naruto ran off."

"H-how...long ago was this?"

"A month...last time there was a full moon."

Hinata's pearl eyes grew dreamy, as if an unknown force had manipulated her emotion from concerned to content. Gazing at the appearing stars, she smiled softly, shifting her position to sit like Sakura was.

"I-it's my favorite...phase of the moon. Full Moon…"

Sakura had taken the statement aback. Far as she was concerned, it was the worst form the wretched celestial body could take. "Really?"

"S-sure...I've always liked it a lot...brightens the night...It's one of a kind...d-doesn't have a double in the cycle...only an opposite. You...know what I mean right?"

Her mood had been lifted by her words, like a bad dream chased away by a loving mother. All this time she'd been focusing on the negatives, forgetting the positives. Regardless of what it's done to her, the full moon truly was a sight to behold, a misunderstood beauty like herself. Instead of fear, her heart pounded with excitement, anticipation, and impatience. All of a sudden...she could not wait for it to begin.

"I'd...never thought of it that way."

Hinata giggled a little, her cheeks flustering. In a way she felt like she'd finally done something helpful.

"But, you haven't said anything...about...y'know...Naruto running away," Sakura added. She'd expected her to at least think about it. Instead, Hinata had altered the subject directly afterwards. The Hyuga hesitated, equally puzzled by it.

"I don't know...for some reason...I was...sort of expecting it. I knew deep down..."

Exhaling deeply, Sakura arose from her seat. Hinata noticed the movement and traced it. Pacing backwards, Sakura's eyes nervously scanned the surroundings. She sensed no one near, yet the location was too close to the village itself that someone could hear the two. Even more worrisome, ninja were known to train here as frequently at night as they would during the day. She'd taken too long to draw Hinata in; therefore, relying on luck would determine how the night's timeline ran.

"Hinata…I…" she began, a sad smile upon her face. "I…am sorry. Just please…understand…I'm doing this for…Naruto."

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_It _was so close. Bearing to wait for it any longer caused intense distress, painful anxiety, and many other indecipherable emotions. He could see it as it peaked over the trees. He felt its light upon his skin, like the caress of a lover, like a soft warm blanket. Why was his body not changing yet though? Clenching his fists in irritation, he masked his anger with another grin.

Sasuke glanced upon his captured prey to amuse himself, keeping his back turned towards him. Shikamaru's eyelids were drooping, not surprising. It was tiring to wait this long, but it would be a crime to allow him rest, to obscure his vision from the transformation about to commence. Advertising its beauty openly may or may not pick his interest, but regardless it was crucial he witnessed it beforehand.

"So, Shikamaru…you really want out of those ropes?" he asked, his every muscle growing tense.

"Want an honest answer? I could care less…" Shikamaru responded, purposely annoying Sasuke.

"Oh, I think you'll change your mind…after this..."

His nails prodded the skin of his palms, causing his smile to grow wider and more crazed. Uncurling his fists, he watched his claws resurface from his fingertips. He chuckled darkly, as they smoothed and sharpened, becoming glossy black weapons attached to his skin. He looked up at the full moon, his human heart overpowered with the undying joy and excitement.

He extended one arm to the side, flaring his claws for Shikamaru to behold them. The joints in his hands popped as he did so, reforming the bone to resemble a more paw-like structure. His limbs were forced to bend in directions unnatural for human posture. His body did not appreciate these jarring movements, but his mind did. At last he could finally roam the night as a wolf once more.

Shikamaru's stomach churned, granting him the ache he claimed he had before this started. The claws were one thing, but the sounds of cracking were what truly ailed him. _"Okay, this _really _has to be my worst day ever. What the hell is this? A jutsu?"_

As Sasuke's feet slipped out of his sandals, Shikamaru shook his head, answering his question no. _"No way. This is different, no where near a jutsu." _He struggled in his bindings with a more valiant effort than before. He grunted, gasping for air after every movement. _"He's a freak!"_

"I told you I would let you go…don't struggle," Sasuke muttered ominously, feeling his back and chest press against his shirt. If not in the middle of the change, he would scold himself for yet again forgetting to remove his clothing, or at least the majority of it. Though, he supposed he had enough shirts to make up for these continuous losses. He gritted his teeth as he groaned in pleasure.

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Kakashi stumbled forwards, clasping his bare stomach with a clawed hand. His fingers bled from where the claws had surfaced, but surprisingly, it did not hurt even an ounce. An animal-like growl emitted from his throat as his feet adjusted. They grew longer and his heels rose from the ground, adding onto his height.

"Kakashi!" Iruka cried in attempt to stop the inevitable. He was deathly afraid of what may become of the jonin as the change progressed. Would the product simply be Kakashi, a pure untamed beast, or perhaps a combination of both?

He had to maintain balance by holding onto the footboard of his bed. His toes swelled as claws grew upon them. Kakashi's back cracked as he hunched over involuntarily. Strands of fur pricked out of his skin, growing in patches on select parts of his skin. He gritted his teeth as they too reformed and sharpened into fangs.

The contortion of his bones and muscles were proven less agonizing then the prior change. A simple sensation of discomfort and high fever replaced it, and though annoying as it was, he could tolerate it. He let out a guttural growl as he set his hands on the ground to stand on all fours. He clawed at the wood floor, feeling his humanity wither away along with his body. It mattered little, the newfound power and strength intoxicating his normally sensible mind.

His body shivered with delight. It truly did feel grand to be an animal…to not have the restraints of a human. If only he had understood that before, none of this would need to have occurred.

"_Now I have two apologies to make to him…" _he thought wearily, bracing himself for the final stage of the transformation.

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She winced at the discomforting sensations of the change, grinding her sharpening teeth together. Her breaths were short and off their normal rhythm, her heart taking similar route. Fighting it did not once cross her mind, but that did not mean she truly accepted her fate as the night's slave. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at Hinata's frozen form. She held herself, arm in arm, digging her black claws into her skin to keep herself sane.

Sakura leaned on the tree behind her. She felt everything below her waist changing, making her method a must for stability. She was forced to stand on her clawed toes and bend her knees due to the popping joints beneath her furring skin. She attempted to speak to Hinata, to reassure everything was fine, but her voice had been locked away as her body gave in to the transformation.

"S-Sakura…you're…" Hinata stuttered out, backing away on her rear until her back collided with one of the posts. As Sakura anticipated, she was fearful. Managing a nod, she allowed her sorrow and guilt touch her cheeks in rivers of tears. She did not want this to happen as much as Hinata did not wish to witness it.

Growling lightly, she released the grasp on herself and relaxed her muscles. Pain like a growing pain started on her arms and legs, spreading within her like a disease. Her oriental red dress was a misfit in seconds, considering how tightly it hugged to her body in human form. As it tore, it was soon replaced with thick tufts of fur. It felt as if she had been coated in a soft, warm blanket after her skin was fully covered in it.

The power and energy radiating from her deformed friend overwhelmed Hinata's senses. Right before her very eyes was a scene viewed rarely by mortal souls. Sure, ninjas could perform the ninjutsu Transform, but this was different. Every change happened gradually and was visible to the naked eye. She glanced back at the sky, her eyes locked with the full moon. The situation at hand was truly surreal, yet easily recognized.

"_Of course…a full moon. She mentioned it once before…so that has to be it…But…I thought these people…were known to be extinct…"_

Now, she wasn't as afraid anymore, understanding the source of Sakura's abnormal physical alterations.

Sakura fell to the forest floor on all four, snarling like the wolf she was slowly becoming. Her monstrous cries remained foreign to her, even as her ears grew and pointed and her hearing range increased tenfold. Her tailbone bent up and pushed out, quickly developing into a full-sized wolf tail. Her bright green eyes widened with mental shock as her facial bones snapped and cracked. The tip of her nose turned glossy black as her face and jaws pushed out to suit her new form. As the muzzle filled out with sharp teeth, her groan of pain shifted into a canine-like whine.

Yet again, she could not help but howl to the moon, the chorus of two other beasts joining her song in a glorious melody.

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End of Chapter

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	11. A New Way of Life

**Chapter 10**

_December 12__th_

A New Way of Life

Holding her hand in a fist, Sakura pressed her aching head to the ground. Her claws punctured her skin as she growled in irritation. Her whole body trembled, but not from pain or mental shock and the cold air was shielded, cast away by her warm coat of fur. A strange tingling sensation rose up inside her. Heat was beating down on her back. As if the moon was the sun itself, it made her feel warm and content. Her heart pounded like a powerful drum, the loudest in a band of many. She felt at peace, as one with the air and earth. Strong, she felt stronger as well. These surreal sensations were difficult to understand, but they were so wonderful, so astonishing, so beautiful.

Her mind could hardly take it. She loved this new body and every little feeling included in it. What she did not love was the fact Hinata was there to witness it. Realization hitting her, she lifted her muzzle and stared wide-eyed. Hinata's eyes were equally wide, though less fearful than her own.

"Hi-Hinata...I..." she muttered, noticing how different her voice sounded. "I...didn't mean..."

Her eyelids fell over her glowing green irises, releasing tears into her fur.

"I...meant to tell you...but..."

Hinata tilted her head, finding the courage to stand. Slowly she paced to the wolf, marveling over its magnificence. Forcing her body closer, she consistently reminded herself the beast was friendly, that it was a companion who she could trust. After getting close enough, she sat on her knees to be at eye-level with her.

"I...don't know what to say...Sakura," Hinata admitted honestly. The wolf opened her teary eyes, shocked that she would come so near to her. "Well...I guess I could say you're..."

"I know..." said Sakura dejectedly. "...weird?"

"No."

"Freaky?"

"No...actually..."

Hinata tentatively reached her hand out over Sakura's head. Lightly, she touched the area behind her pointed ear, rubbing back and forth. "Y-you...look... kinda cute like this..."

The compliment caught her off guard, yet her entire being was focused on the massage Hinata was providing behind her ear. Naturally, she leaned in towards the source of comfort. A soft growl sounded off in her throat, a tingling sensation running down her spine. Her tail reacted by wagging a little faster. Hinata giggled, amused by the way Sakura reacted.

Once she stopped scratching, Sakura shook her head to release the remaining prickles under her skin. Her legs were stiff and in need of rest, but the question was: how did she sit down? The way her limbs had been configured made it difficult to execute small movements, let alone the hearty task of sitting. Grunting in annoyance, she tried every method she could think of.

"Y-you...having trouble with something?" Hinata asked apprehensively. Sighing tiredly, Sakura allowed herself to plummet forward. She laid with her hind legs sprawled out and her arms covering her aching head. Hinata reached out to pet her again, but she shook her head in protest.

"I guess you can say I don't have a lot of experience like this..." grumbled the brown wolf. Her bright green eyes trailed up. "I don't get it...Shouldn't you be running and screaming or something?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I just assumed that...never mind then," Sakura said. Placing her paws back on the ground, she pushed herself up. Her legs folded up at her sides as an innate reaction. Finding comfort in that position, she smirked in triumph.

"_Hah...that wasn't too hard..."_ she thought, mocking the transformation's effect on her. Her moment of self pride ended quickly. With sorrowful eyes, she returned her gaze to Hinata.

"Hinata...y-you see...it's not a coincidence I came here..." She paused for a long while. "I was ordered to look for you."

"By who?"

"That's not important right now...I have a message to deliver to you...an offer so to speak."

"An...offer?"

"About Naruto...there's more to what's happening...that I didn't mention earlier," Sakura continued, her irises trailing to the corner of her eyes. She whimpered, wondering how he was doing or where he might be.

"What is it?" asked Hinata.

"You...understand what I am, right?" She nodded in agreement to the statement. Sakura gently touched her chest with a paw as she whined again. "Well...Naruto's got this too...just a different...perhaps worse type."

"What...do you mean worse?"

"I don't know...like I said...there's a lot about the situation I don't understand. As far as I do know...Naruto...can't exactly control himself very well in the other form. There's been some emotional instability in him...and it keeps making it worse and worse for him. Now that he's run away...we can't help him. He surely can't help himself either."

Hinata frowned, swallowing a growing lump in her throat. _"Poor Naruto-kun...he must have really been hurting..."_

But Hinata had always known that Naruto was hurting, inside and out. Everyone, villagers, shinobi, and fellow classmates alike treated him horribly. Hinata, however, did not hate or shun him. In truth, he was the person she cared for most in her life, regardless she rarely spoke or even made eye contact with him. Her timid nature had prevented her from befriending him, and she dearly regretted it.

Whether or not she could win his heart his friendship mattered so much more.

"There's no easy way to say this. H-Hinata...we—Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and I—we really need your help."

"_Me? They need...me? Why me?" _Hinata wondered distrustfully. Far as she was concerned, she had no special attributes or talents to boast. What kind of help was that?

"Please...hear me out," Sakura requested, noticing her hesitant expression. "Naruto...may not seem like a difficult target...but if just the three of us went after him...even the fact that we're all—" She paused. Her throat tightened in protest to the name of the curse. It was unbearable to even whisper the word. "...it's...it's just too hazardous."

"_Naruto-kun...he...he can't be all that difficult to capture can he? He's strong...but..."_

"The only way we'll ever get him back...is if you come with. I-I promise you...it'll be worth your while." Sakura averted her gaze to the ground, heaving a sigh through her nostrils. She pawed at the ground lightly and whined a soft, doggish whine. Now was the time to charm her.

"You...do care about him...don't you?" she asked in a demure manner.

Hinata perked up, worry crossing her pale expression. "O-Of course I do!"

A smile formed on Sakura's muzzle, immediately washing off the sorrowful disposition she held before. "Then you'll help us?"

"S-sure...I'd love to, Sakura," Hinata agreed, her muscles growing tenser with each passing moment. Sakura stepped forward, staring Hinata straight in the eye with her stern, glowing irises. She placed her hand on Hinata's knee, the claws barely puncturing the fabric of her pants.

"However..." the wolf began, a devious look in her eye. "I'm afraid there's a catch..."

"A-a catch?" Hinata's body trembled in fear as she gazed at Sakura's black claws. They were too close for comfort. "Wh-what...kind of catch?"

"You have to house a certain...power...to actually be qualified to carry this mission out..."

"Okay...uhm...what is it...then?"

The wind in the trees picked up for a moment. Silence embraced the two in a tight grasp. Sakura found it difficult to seek the perfect way to word this. Her long tongue ran over the backs of her fangs as she thought, and thought, and thought for a good minute or two. Digging her back claws into the ground, she finally opened her mouth once more as the wind died down.

"This power...the one I have spoken of. The one both Naruto and I possess. The one Kakashi and Sasuke hold. The power to take the form of a beast."

With a quick intake of breath Hinata scrambled backwards. Sakura's nails left small cuts in her knee. She winced at the sting, holding the bleeding wound. Somehow Sakura had predicted this reaction, but she was well prepared to counteract it.

"Us three alone can't handle him...we need others like us to guarantee we bring him back safely and we come back the same," Sakura explained, pawing closer to Hinata. Hinata continued to edge away, fearful tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"H-how do you kn-know that I'm g-going to be any help?"

"Well...You just said you cared about him, didn't you?"

"That won't solve anything..."

"Naruto needs to be reminded there are people who care about him...it'd be impossible for me or Sasuke, or even my Sensei to show that to him. You can though."

"Wh-what if I make it worse?"

"It's a risk we have to take. I know deep down you want to help him, and if I were in your shoes I would be hesitant too. I had no choice from the beginning, but you have one."

"...Can't you find someone better than me? Neji's a lot stronger than I am..."

"This will make you stronger. You'll reach strength _beyond_ the human threshold. We chose you and the other two for a reason, because we were positive you were the right ones."

"Just because you're positive about this...doesn't mean that I am," Hinata snapped, gritting her teeth at the wolf in frustration. Sakura gave her an apologetic look, taking the statement for granted.

"Please...I cannot express this any more clearly..." It wouldn't hurt to tell a little white lie...would it? Being straight about was ineffective, so perhaps it may be the only way. "Naruto will never come back unless we make him, Naruto will never be the same again unless...unless you come with..." And then came the lie. "You're the one who matters the most to this mission."

"Uh...me?"

"_I...matter the most? But...I..."_

"Yes, but...you can't come...unless you can share in Naruto's pain as we have...in his curse."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...I'm sure."

"...What if it doesn't work?"

"Forget what ifs. They're the worst kinds of questions to be asking."

Hinata grew quiet, letting the quote sink in. She compared it to other sayings she'd heard in the past like "there's never a wrong question" and "it's good to ask questions". A what if question fell under the category of inquiries, so why were they wrong? They portrayed a situation that may or may not happen, and the answerer is to reply with the given scenario's supposed outcome; according to Sakura, what if questions were unacceptable.

In a way, Hinata understood why she would find such questions offensive. She'd been nothing but negative about it, attempting to escape with herself in tact. Clearly Sakura was upset, desperate, and in need of aid. She could feel her pain in each teardrop the brown wolf shed. Could real wolves shed tears as a human could? Expression of human emotion confirmed the creature before her was not entirely an animal.

And neither would she be completely consumed as a beast.

"_What do I do? She said Naruto needs help...and they can't do it all on their own supposedly...and...it seems like...they're really counting on me to do this..." _She directed her attention to the sky, the pale light of the moon sending shivers through her veins. _"N-no...I can't...What would my family think if they found out? I can't make a life-changing choice just...just because Naruto..."_

Her thoughts froze the second Naruto entered them. The image of him smiling flooded her mindscape, making it impossible for her to let any other thought in. He was talking to her; his tone of voice was there, but his words were unclear.

A sense of determination rose up in her. The emotion crossed her facial expression and body language. She stared at Sakura with a stronger intensity then before. She had ceased fidgeting and cowering in terror. Slowly, she lifted herself from the ground to stand. Hinata took a deep breath.

"If it'll help Naruto...I'll do it."

Cautiously, Sakura came closer to her. "When I bite you...there's no turning back..."

"I understand, Sakura," Hinata mumbled, pulling up the sleeve on her right arm. The bare skin exposed, she offered the arm to Sakura. "Go on...I'll never back down on my word."

"It's...really going to hurt...I won't lie to you."

"I'll make it through..."

"All right...here goes nothing."

As slowly as she could, Sakura edged her muzzle towards the human's arm. The said arm carried the liquid she craved so desperately. Ever since that night Sasuke first let her taste it, it was the only thing on her mind besides Naruto.

Blood...sweet...invigorating blood.

Her nose could smell it under the salty musk of Hinata's skin. Was it safe for her to bite? What if she were to loose control to the blood high?

But...there was no time for what ifs.

"_Come on, Sakura...just...do it," _she commanded herself, gingerly opening her jaws. "_Come on...Sasuke...Kakashi-sensei...they're counting on me to do this..."_

Sakura forced her fangs into the fragile skin of the human. Hinata cried softly, her free arm tense with the desire to yank the wolf off of her. Though faintly, she could feel something strange and foreign entering her veins. The longer its teeth were within her, the more noticeable the sensation became.

Unconsciously, Sakura let out a feral growl, tightening her grip on the arm. It was just like Sasuke said...human blood was far different than Sasuke's "special" blood. It was definitely sweeter, stronger, and twice as addictive.

She could not mind herself to release the bite. Her body tingled with pleasure as her blood seeped past the wounds and into her mouth. Sakura grew lightheaded as she breathed heavily through her nostrils.

"_Blood to us is like...a drug. It changes the way you think about things. It awakens your animal instincts, fading your human beliefs and reason into the background. That's only a bad thing if you're in the wolf form…because that creature you become…is a very…very dangerous thing…"_

Heeding his warning, Sakura loosened her jaws, but still refused to let go.

Hinata stared fearfully at the wolf's head. Her body was getting warmer, but she shivered like it was cold. Her stomach ached at the sight of blood dripping down her arm. These would be her final moments of normality, for if the story held true, at this bite she would be forever transformed and the only true cure to the dreadful disease was death.

Gritting her teeth, she started to pull her arm away from the beast. Tears reeled down her cheeks. After a valiant struggle, her bleeding limb was released. The wolf heaved a deep sigh of relief, whining as she wiped her muzzle on the dry grass to clean it of red. Hinata also began to breathe heavily and the bite wound burned like fire.

She sobbed quietly, feebly covering the bite with her hand. She started to back away from the beast.

Finished with her grass-bath, Sakura lifted her head and met Hinata's eyes in confusion. Her befuddled expression fell into sorrow as Hinata let out a shrill cry of pain. The human girl doubled over, holding her stomach, grasping it for dear life. The small groans that followed it sounded as if she was choking on her own saliva.

From this day forth, she too would have to suffer the curse. For what purpose though? One poor soul? Hinata was throwing away her whole life for this one person, this one tainted spirit wandering in the dark. Does Naruto _really_ mean so much that people would give up being human for him?

If you asked Hinata, or Iruka, or even lethargic Shikamaru, their answer would be yes.

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The moon was high in the sky, clouds dancing across it in small wisps. The night air was a lot colder than the preceding full moons as the Hidden Leaf drifted out of autumn and into winter. The trees were bare, having lost its leaves to the harsh cruelties of seasonal changes. Their jagged branches scratched at the stars furiously.

The branches creaked as soft winds blew between them. Their moans were painful, frightening to listen to. Wanderers in this gloomy shade would freeze on spot at first sound of the branches' wails.

Among those wails were other mournful cries, howls from wolves. Each howl had its own unique pitch and quality, identifying its owner. These howls shook the near dead trees, caused small mammals to scamper away in fear and the few birds that remained in the winter to take off in flight. Even the sleeping population could feel these terrifying melodies within their dreams.

After ages of silence, the crunch of dead leaves became the only audible sound. Something had begun to move.

In a desolate area, a tall, brown furred wolf figure awaited her companions with another like her by her side. The beast beside her laid unconscious. It was so still many could mistake her for a smooth gray rock. Part of the fur that created that illusion was a bit darker, particularly near the top of its head. Her long tail rested limply on the ground.

A darker figure came into view, burdening a large auburn mass on his back. His steps created soft, but noticeable thuds as he came closer to Sakura and her victim. Once there, he tossed his victim on the ground roughly. He heaved a sigh, leaning on a nearby tree. The female wolf looked away from him and the two other canines.

"So, your catch was a success I see," the black wolf praised, crossing his arms over his chest. "Excellent job, Sakura."

"Guess you didn't have any problems either..." she responded venomously.

He laughed a little, pointing his muzzle back down to the ground. "Well...I had to knock him out myself...otherwise it went according to plan. Now all we need to do is wait for Kakashi and his prey."

"They're not prey...Sasuke-kun..." she grumbled quietly and irritated. "They're people...they _were _people..."

"Sakura...I don't mean it like that," he replied softly as he walked to her side. She nudged away. "It's a simple, meaningless expression."

"Then why do you keep saying it?"

"Because..." He paused, puzzling the inquiry in his head. "Because...It's what I am. It's...language of our kind."

"Hmph...our kind...thanks for making me feel even less human."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow hidden under fur. He hadn't the slightest idea of what was wrong with her. He inched closer to her until his fur barely touched hers.

"Don't you like _not_ being human, though?" he asked as he nuzzled the top of her head with his muzzle. He fiddled with the tip of her tail all the while.

"Do you want the truth?" Sakura snapped, whipping her tail away from his fingers, causing him to cease his gesture of comfort. "I...I hate it..."

Before Sasuke could respond, his ears picked up on the sound of more footsteps. The two of them turned towards the source. It was the final wolf to arrive.

Kakashi's massive wolf form trudged into the designated meeting area, dragging a near equally large wolf creature. Just below the unfamiliar creature's closed eyes was a horizontal scar. Kakashi was panting fairly heavily, and he was limping on one leg. When close enough, he dropped his load and kneeled on the undamaged leg, grunting lightly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried, dashing with Sasuke to his side. "Sensei, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...I'm fine..." Kakashi grumbled. He looked down at the gash in his leg. His students did the same. "It's just a scratch."

"Scratch? You're crazy...that thing has to be at least half an inch deep."

"Did Iruka resist?" Sasuke questioned. Kakashi glanced upon Iruka's new form as he laid there limply.

"A little...kind of lost it and attacked me after the transformation...Caught me off guard and took a chunk out of my leg. I was able to knock him unconscious quickly and without doing him harm though," Kakashi explained. He let out a long, airy sigh, relieving his shoulders of the stress they'd piled up throughout these past few days.

"Consider part one of our mission complete. We now have our team."

The three of them continued to stare at the rookie wolves, one dark gray, one chocolate brown and the other deep russet. This was more than the formation of a team. It was the dawning of a new era, the formation of a family, the one Naruto was seeking from the very beginning.

And this family was going to bring him home.

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End of Chapter

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	12. Seeking the Help of the Pervy Sage!

**Chapter 11**

_December 13__th_

Seeking the Help of the Pervy-Sage!

The morning after was a stiff and achy one for Iruka. He awoke in a cold sweat. With all his might, he sat up in his single bed, the covers slipping off in the process. Cool air rushed up on his bare chest. His mind was quite hazy; he stroked the top of his hair, groaning all the while. Never had he felt this terrible in the morning.

After he rubbed his eyes of the crust they had gathered, he was finally able to gain a clearer view of the room. Somehow, he had found his way to his apartment. He'd expected to find himself elsewhere, but he assumed Kakashi had ferried him home in the middle of the night.

As his dark irises trailed the scope, he caught sight of a scrap piece of paper tacked to the footboard of his bed. Curiously, Iruka cocked an eyebrow before reaching for it and scanning its printing.

_By the time you read this, it will likely be morning. I'm confident you aren't feeling at the top of your game. It's normal to be a little sore, but I'm afraid we cannot wait for the three of you to recover. I expect to see you at the Memorial Monument at noon. There is more I wish to convey to you and the others about my plan. _

He flipped the page over, searching for a name. It had no signature. Iruka let out a deep sigh, rolling his shoulders to release the tension within them. He had a good idea of who left him the note.

His eyes were downcast, staring at his bed spread. His heart pulsed violently within him, almost feeling the pain of the change brutally stabbing into his being again. The howls rang in his mindscape, each of them with their unique pitch and quality. A curse was now his to endure, and that curse was not an enjoyable one.

Regardless of the stupidity of it all, he knew it was for a good cause.

"_I stay true to my word. I told him if there was anything wrong, I would help him, no matter what it was."_

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The sun was high in the sky by the time Iruka had arrived at the designated area. It was miraculous he had been capable of leaving bed. He came in scratching a nervous itch on his neck. What else could there possibly be that Kakashi had to tell them so urgently?

The man in mind leaned against the stone, his single eye staring at the sky distantly. Surrounding him were four younger people, all of whom he recognized as past pupils: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, and Hinata Hyuga. Weakly he smiled as he drew near; Kakashi looked up at him.

"Well, well...Iruka finally decided to show. We've been waiting," Kakashi said with a smile beneath his mask. Iruka laughed uneasily; the odd stares the other four were shooting him nerved him.

"Sorry...was a little late waking up," he responded, locating a spot for him to sit in. He turned his attention to the others in the group. "Gosh...It's been so very long since I've seen any of you...It's always great to see old students again, Sakura, Hinata, Shikamaru, Sasuke."

Sasuke simply nodded his way. Hinata timidly waved to her academy teacher. Shikamaru yawned lazily, still very drowsy.

"It's great to see you too, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said with a sweet smile, being the only one of the four to greet him verbally.

"I suppose we're all reacquainted," Kakashi interrupted. "How are we all feeling this morning?" The question itself was mainly directed to the rookie wolves.

"Hn, bad question, Kakashi," Iruka grumbled, rubbing his right arm where he was bitten.

Hinata remained silent, her eyes directed to the ground. She was hurting too, but in more ways than one. The pain _it_ brought had left her mentally traumatized. She hadn't spoken a world all morning, not to her family, not to Sakura, nothing. She closed her eyes lightly, turning away haughtily.

Shikamaru glanced to his left, shooting a nasty glare at Sasuke, scowling all the while. Sasuke too stared from the corner of his eye, smirking.

"To be honest, I'm _really _ticked off," Shikamaru growled out, shifting his glare to Kakashi, who cocked an eyebrow. "I was enjoying my evening, for once, and Fur-Ball over there took me hostage. He tied me to a tree_ and_ he took a chunk out of my shoulder. How do you _think_ I feel?"

Kakashi scratched the side of his head. He was uncertain whether it was intelligent or not to answer this obviously rhetorical question. "Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to come out of the first night smelling like roses."

Shikamaru turned his cheek, eyeing Kakashi curiously. "So what is this anyways? Some conspiracy to populate this village with mutts?"

Sasuke growled lightly. How dare he...calling them mutts...They were far from it. "Watch your mouth...you may just get hurt."

"Oh yeah? Then get up and do something about it, dog-breath."

The Uchiha gripped to the dirt and clenched his teeth in fury. He had to restrain his temper, for he had no desire to start yet another fight. He himself grew tired of it, therefore forcing him to put a leash upon his untamed anger.

Kakashi raised his hand, calling for the two to cease conflict. He kept a calm gaze as he met eyes with Shikamaru. "You see, Shikamaru, thisis a circumstance in which it was necessary for you to obtain this power. I apologize for the inconveniences it is causing you at the moment...but in all due respect...we had no choice. We honestly could not continue without you or the others at our side."

"So you think I'm going to help you just because you want me to? I think I have a right to know this _circumstance_ before I even consider it," Shikamaru retorted, using air quotes on the word circumstance.

"You haven't been told?" Kakashi questioned as he glanced over to Sasuke, the one who was supposed to tell Shikamaru about the situation with Naruto.

"No," Nara spat out.

"I see..."

Sasuke's eyes held a tint of disappointment within them. He averted his attention to the ground, his bangs covering the majority of his face. He admitted he had gotten too caught up in the excitement of it all to tell his reasoning, but it was no true excuse. All he could do was hide his disgrace.

"Perhaps I can shed some light then, Shikamaru," Kakashi said, fiddling with his headband for a second. "Let's see now...where to begin..."

The following minutes consisted of relaying all the information he and everyone else could ever need. He started with Naruto and the Fox, explaining how the two were connected and what that connection has done to Naruto. He followed it up with the ordeals that occurred three full moons ago when Sasuke was first transformed, and then to the events of the night he and Sakura were also bitten.

Shikamaru's anger softened. Maybe if he had been told beforehand...maybe if he had known about Naruto...he wouldn't have had a reason to protest. He disliked the measures they had taken to solve the problem, but he himself hated to see someone like Naruto befall such a cruel and painful fate.

"But here's something I'm not getting," Shikamaru mumbled. "According to you, Naruto isn't a werewolf. Why would his bite create one?"

Kakashi closed his eye, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's one of the many mysteries yet to be deciphered."

"I'm sure it'd be best that we locate some more credible information about all of this before we jump into using it...Have you looked into finding any...books? Scrolls? Databases about this?"

"I'm trying to keep as low of a profile as I can."

Sasuke intervened. "Kinda difficult to pop into a library to check out a book on werewolves without suspicions...Who knows if anything like that even exists?"

Kakashi crossed his arms and his legs, lowering his head to stare at his knees. He was right to choose Shikamaru as an ally, for he had not once thought about finding information on the force they were toying with. If such information was accessible, perhaps the mission would become easier. He grumbled, deep in thought.

"There is another matter I should address, Kakashi," Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded, motioning him to continue. "This power we have is great, and it is the primary means we have to stand up to Naruto, but seeing as we only turn at the full moon...we can only use it under extremely special conditions. Do you think it wise that we wait for _every _full moon just to track him down?"

Kakashi snorted at him, taking that also into consideration. The others sitting silently were growing worried by the logic presented by the genius-duo.

"I suppose..." the Jonin murmured, tapping his knee to stimulate his thoughts. "I suppose our next move is to learn more about our power...before stumbling into using it."

Iruka nodded boldly. "Agreed."

Hinata nodded also, a small smile upon her face. She rubbed her right hand within her left. "I-it sounds like a good plan...Kakashi-sensei, but...where do we start?"

"Well..." Kakashi returned to his thinking pose. "The Leaf Village's library would be a good place to start." Although...he had already stated he wanted to keep a low profile. "We could ask the Hokage..." But what were the odds that she knew much of anything about werewolves? Who said she even believed in them?

Suddenly, a strong idea came to him. He lifted his head. "I know exactly what we're going to do."

Everyone gave him their undivided attention, their eyes filled with anticipation for his next words.

"As I've told you...Naruto is the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon." Hinata looked away in unease. It was a fact she did not desire to think about knowing it was the source of everything painful in her beloved's life.

"As far as I know, he has the ability to call upon its near infinite chakra storage at his own will. Tapping into the Fox's chakra has indeed caused him physical and mental damage, but as I've observed...when he does tap into it...in most cases...he enters a sort of "half-transformed" state. Based upon these facts, I have developed a theory upon how our power works. Perhaps there is a second storage like Naruto's within us..."

"Not a bad idea, Kakashi," Sasuke praised. "But...if this theory is true...how exactly do we tap into it at our will?"

Another silence embraced them.

"We'll have to pay a visit to someone," the Jonin declared. "Naruto's other teacher."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Other teacher?"

"Yes. I'm confident he is the best place to start with. We may not get information on ourselves, but we may be able to find information on Naruto."

"Well...who is it, Sensei?" she asked, anxious to know.

"I'm curious as well..." said Sasuke in irritation. "I never knew he was being taught by someone else."

Kakashi chuckled lightly, oddly amused by their obliviousness. His male student scowled at him. How annoying it was when Kakashi had something to laugh about...He could just feel that laughter ringing in his ears, rotting him, mocking him.

"You all must know Jiraiya," the Jonin stated flat. The younger members of the group stared at him befuddled.

"Jiraiya, of the legendary Sannin," Iruka uttered dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're quite certain he'll know something?"

"The Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and the three Sannin are the only shinobi known to have intelligence of the seal. Since the Third and the Fourth are deceased...and one of the Sannin is far out of our reach, we're left with Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya. I trust Jiraiya knows more about the seal and its workings than Tsunade, as he _did_ teach the man who invented it..."

"_And maybe...just maybe...he might know why the seal is failing...and perhaps know how to fix it," _he added silently.

"Jiraiya...I think I've seen him before at the Ramen Bar with Naruto," Sakura mumbled, averting her irises to the blue sky. "Long white hair...those red lines on his face..."

"Naruto mentioned him once to me, I think...but didn't use his name," Sasuke said, thinking back to their past conversations. "He called him...Pervy-Sage."

"That's the guy," Kakashi responded.

"If this is our approach, then we have no time to waste," Sasuke declared, rising from his seat. He stared down upon the group. "Naruto is slipping farther and farther away as we speak."

Kakashi stood, grunting as he cracked his back. "Then let us not waste this time. We shall proceed to phase two of the mission."

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Far beyond the village in a quaint part of the woods, a tall, powerful waterfall pounded into its shallow, rocky basin. The area smelled sweet of clean water and fresh air. The creek flowed smoothly along its path, small and colorful fish traversing down it casually. A calmed, hush of a whisper lingered over-head.

A beautiful water feature it was, an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful get-away. It was completely surrounded by forest, not too far from the Leaf's most sought out for hotels.

But...behind the bushes...a predator was lurking...waiting...watching...

Though...it wasn't the type of predator searching for a good meal. His primary target was a different type of prey. There he sat, staring with keen black eyes through a hole in the shrubs. By his side was his preferred weapon, a telescope, ready to use at the first sight of his targets. This creature is a fascinating one, though typically avoided by women...

The creature called pervert.

Since early morning, Jiraiya had been waiting there with the hope of the opportunity for research. This spot had always been a common place to see exactly what he wanted to see, but for some reason nobody was there today. He looked up to the sky, groaning in annoyance.

It was a moderate day for winter, but none-the-less, too cold for a swim. He determined that was the reason he wasn't getting anything done. He'd thought since there wasn't any snow, women would still come. However, after waiting for three hours, that was proven not to be the case.

Taking a puff on his pipe, he sighed the smoke out, feeling defeated. Perhaps it was time he packed it up for the day...

"Cursed winter...you're so cruel as to not only take the leaves on the trees...but my subjects as well? Perhaps...this is a sign that what I do is...wrong?" He paused for a moment, bursting out laughing seconds later.

After catching his breath, he put the ember out on his pipe and put it away.

"No point in sticking around, I guess..."

With slight difficulty, Jiraiya got back on his feet and stretched his arms outwards. The joints in his shoulder creaked in protest, an ever present sign of his aging. He thought he was in pretty good shape for someone over half a century old, yet he still questioned whether it would become a problem in the near future.

As he started walking, he observed the sun's position in the sky. It had to be some time past noon, far too early for him to be retiring...

"Hi," he heard a casual voice say from behind him. Caught off guard, Jiraiya stumbled forward and shouted, frightened. He maintained his balance by slamming his palm onto the nearest tree, using chakra to stick to it.

"Well, uh...I wasn't quite expecting you to be so jumpy, Master Jiraiya..." the voice said again. By now, Jiraiya could faintly identify the person. Slowly, he turned his head around, eyes narrowed at Kakashi.

"Sorry 'bout that..." Kakashi mumbled with a few laughs entailed in the statement.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you either, Kakashi..." Jiraiya took his hand off the bark, brushing himself off on impulse. "Quite crafty you are...I suppose the Fourth taught you well."

Kakashi reached behind his head and rubbed his neck. "Right...uh...Thank you and all, but...I kinda wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Really now..."

The two heard the crack of a twig in a nearby pine tree and looked in its direction. Kakashi could feel sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Did you hear that?"

"Uh...nope. Nothing at all. So, about that thing..."

In said tree, perched in the branches, the other five sat patiently as they awaited their cue to come in, if that cue was to be made. They stared at the two as they mingled, staying quiet as humanly possible. A furious blush flared on Hinata's cheeks, having been the one to make the noise.

"All right, spill it. I'm a very busy man, you see," Jiraiya snapped, crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I understand your _tight _schedule, but this is really important, Master Jiraiya."

The Sannin nodded his head, silently agreeing to listen. "M'kay..."

"I have a very important question to ask you." For a while, Kakashi paused, staring into Jiraiya's dark, sagacious eyes. "Have you seen Naruto lately?" He said it more as a statement then an inquiry. The second he asked, Jiraiya's irises trailed to the right, and then to the left, and then back up to the pine tree. One of the branches creaked.

He knew Kakashi wasn't alone...someone was listening in.

"_Naruto...hm..."_ Jiraiya thought inquisitively.

It wasn't as though Kakashi wasn't to be trusted, but the fact he had others with him was a little suspicious. The question of Naruto in general...was also very dubious...

"Why do you ask, Kakashi? Has he gotten into trouble again?"

"No...yes. Yes and no. It's a debatable question, Master Jiraiya. I just want to know how long it's been since you last laid eyes on him."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, then averted the glare to the treetops.

"I see...In that case...Is there a reason you came here in numbers?" he asked nonchalantly, tapping his foot with impatience. Kakashi flinched, but showed little outer reaction. Obviously Jiraiya had already seen through the charade...So, was there a point to continue fibbing?

Exhaling his breath, Kakashi's shoulders slumped forward. He rose a hand in surrender, directing his eye to the tree in which his comrades concealed themselves.

"Suppose that's the signal," Shikamaru mumbled, turning to Iruka. Iruka nodded, sending the silent command to jump. One by one, they each bounded out of the needles, landing in a position huddled behind Kakashi. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at them skeptically. A group of six—quite a lot for something regarding Naruto.

"That's better," Jiraiya praised. "Quite the abnormal looking party, hm?"

Kakashi locked his gaze with Jiraiya's, an apologetic look in his eye. "Real sorry about this, Jiraiya...I thought if we all came at you at once, you'd be reluctant to talk to us."

The Sannin sighed dejectedly, rubbing the side of his head. "So...you're asking if I've seen Naruto..."

A majority of the company nodded in response, excluding Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"No, I can't say that I have." Jiraiya closed his eyes, delving deeper into his mind. "The last time I saw the bugger...was little over a month ago. He came to me asking for a copy of my newest book...weird little kid he is sometimes."

If not for the mask, Kakashi's face would be noticeably beat red. He remembered the trick Naruto played, oh too well, and now he knew how he had pulled it off—sort of. He was too embarrassed to think of the incident, almost too embarrassed to even touch another novel of its kind, for his obsession with it was one of the many roots leading to where they were now.

"He said he was going to give it you for your birthday or something...I don't know."

"Right..."

"So, do you have a reason for asking, or is it mere curiosity?" Jiraiya scanned over the group. "Judging by the size of this company, it isn't just a curiosity sake question."

"Your deduction is correct, Master Jiraiya. We have a reason...and it's a very confidential reason at that. Jiraiya, can we trust you to keep this...between the lot of us?"

He blinked a few times. "Of course. Now tell me what's up. I'm all ears."

"Thank you...so...uh..." Kakashi paused for a moment, mumbling inscrutably under his breath. "Well, funny thing actually...Naruto's kind of...well...the reason you probably haven't seen him is...is cause 'bout a month ago...he...ran away." His tone was oddly cheery, but it was just a tactic to use to keep the situation under control. Having to say this repeatedly was becoming a large burden on his shoulders, but more so upon his heart.

Jiraiya showed little reaction to this. He kept his arms crossed over his chest, though tighter. Lightly, he gritted his aged teeth, thinking carefully about the revelation delivered upon him.

"Have you talked to Tsunade about this yet?" he asked dully.

"Afraid I can't let her know. It's...a request I must heed to...for Naruto's sake. Otherwise, she would have been the first one I would have confronted."

"So...Naruto's been gone for...a month? Little late rallying the search party, aren't you, Kakashi?"

"There's far more to this than him running, Jiraiya. I wish it were that simple. I would have gone after him myself and had him safely back post-haste. There's something wrong with him, Master Jiraiya...something terribly wrong..."

"I...can agree with that statement. That day I saw him...the way he looked...was terrifying," Jiraiya grumbled, catching everyone's undivided attention. "His eyes were twisted, dark, evil almost...Those eyes were not meant to be there...He's obviously been in some kind of pain..."

"I know what you mean," Sasuke spoke up. He stared down at the ground, fists at his sides, shuddering on the inside. "I've spent a lot of time around him within the past few months. Often...too often...he would have that dark glint in his eye...I know how it feels to gaze into those eyes...how hard it is to look away, regardless of how uneasy you are."

Sakura stared at him incredulously. She could remember seeing it twice, once on the evening of his birthday upon the rooftop of his apartment and again in the hospital. Those cold eyes took her every cheerful sensation away, leaving her bitter, senseless, and unhappy until the moment her eyes were freed. It was as if they siphoned emotion from the eyes they lock with.

"It's a painful thing to see...and only those who have seen it can truly understand the pain he's endured."

"Hm, I've gotta hand it to you, that's quite the sentimental statement, young Uchiha," Jiraiya commended. "So, do you know why he's been so moody as of late?"

"Actually..."

For the second time today, Kakashi went over Naruto's predicament as far as his knowledge carried. However, instead of the standard explanation, he twisted parts of the tale to conceal what he and the others were. It wasn't necessary that Jiraiya knew of their astounding prowess to dissect the information they wanted. Kakashi assured it was all right to speak of the seal before the children.

"Interesting...and befuddling all at the same time...I had a hunch the seal was capable of being damaged, but I'd never imagined..." the old man rambled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And...the fact that it's triggered by the full moon...sounds...kind of familiar..."

Jiraiya puzzled the matter for a good while, making heads or tails of what was really going on with the little blonde boy. The details of the seal's appearance were just enough to make an educated guess, but otherwise, he was left in the dark.

"From what you've told me, I can only come up with one reasoning for his little _changes_...Perhaps the Fox had attempted to erase the seal on his own, but failed, of course...That attempt...it must've screwed the whole system up...and...because of that...it's been able to manifest itself through Naruto's body..."

"_That still doesn't explain the full moon..." _He tapped on his elbow. _"Why can't I remember...why that sounds so familiar?"_

"Do you think there's...any possible way to reverse that damage?" Iruka mumbled hopefully, pleadingly. He was a desperate man, lost in his mind and in his path.

"Tch...Do you have a jutsu to call upon the dead? I'm afraid the only one who would know how to do it..."

"Is the Fourth Hokage," Kakashi finished for him.

"Precisely."

Dejectedly, Iruka sighed. He'd had an intuition that he'd receive an answer most undesirable.

"Though I can't help but wonder if the Fox causes the transformation on purpose..." Jiraiya stated, their misery now riding up on him as well. He exhaled a long, aggravated breath. He wished he had his pipe about now...

"So, I'm assuming this is the group you are taking to locate him, Kakashi." Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Honestly...I'd...refrain against it."

"What do you...mean?" asked Iruka edgily.

"I'm saying...don't go after him...let him go...leave him be. Perhaps...it is better off this way..."

Iruka's eyes went wide. "How can you say such a thing, Master Jiraiya?"

"As much as I'd love to have him back...I fear for the village itself if he were ever to return. In the state that seal's in...it's only a matter of time before Naruto becomes fully consumed by the Fox. Besides, even you six, strong shinobi you may be, you can't take on that beast...he'll destroy you."

Hands balled into fists, Iruka gritted his teeth and clasped his eyes shut. That small, but ignorant comment picked at his every last nerve. Angered, forceful thoughts furiously clawed the inside of his mind. At first, he thought it was a mere headache, but in reality it was his rage slowly growing, soon dominating every other sensation he had and even the power he had over his own body.

Never did someone openly insult Naruto before his eyes and got away with it.

Letting lose an angry cry, he lunged himself at Jiraiya. He took hold of his fairly loose shirt, and pulled him in close to his face. A feral scowl was plastered upon his lips, shallow breaths venting through his teeth.

"Don't you ever...Don't you ever call Naruto a beast!" he shouted, his knuckles turning white from the grip.

Few of the patrons behind them expressed any fear of this sudden outburst. The two females cowered behind Kakashi, watching the transaction with worried eyes. The others stared blankly with no desire to break the conflict up.

Jiraiya wasn't afraid of being hurt, for if he wanted to, he could remove Iruka in an instant. However, his eyes were locked, entranced, enchanted. The young man glared with wide open eyes, his every breath trailed with a growl. The eyes of said man were known to be very dark, almost black, but now, somehow...

The irises glowed bright yellow.

"_This...I've seen those kind of eyes before...long ago...but...it can't be possible..."_

Jiraiya took hold of his arm gently and yanked it off. Iruka attempted a grab with his other arm, but Jiraiya blocked it skillfully. While holding Iruka's arms with one hand, he used the other to take his eyelids and open them further. Closely, he observed the eye, grumbling in his curiosity.

A near solid yellow filled it. Very little tinges of any other color touched the pool of glowing acid. The pupil within it had contracted to the point it was almost non-existent. Iruka ceased all movements, having calmed down some, swallowing in discomfort. Seconds after, the yellow eyes began to fade, dulling into darkness.

When they were no longer interesting to him, Jiraiya released Iruka. However, his keen eyes continued their observations. He stayed close to his face, looking for other signs.

"Open your mouth for me, will ya?" Jiraiya requested, motioning to his own mouth. Iruka quirked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Mouth, open it, now."

"Uh...okay..." He complied with the request, opening his mouth nervously. Apparently, he hadn't opened it to satisfactory standards, and Jiraiya finished opening it himself. Jiraiya began to observe the teeth in his mouth, touching the tips of the canines. They were sharp, very sharp.

No longer in fright or shock, the other five were standing in a befuddled state. Kakashi scratched the side of his head with a finger. He knew Jiraiya was strange, but requesting such a thing made things even stranger.

Done with this observation, Jiraiya forced Iruka's jaws shut by pushing his chin up.

"Interesting…Just one last thing I need to see..." He removed his hulking backpack, searching through its various pouches and pockets. "Now where did I put them little..." He let out a soft "aha!" as he curled his fist around the object. He took it out and dangled it before Iruka's eyes by a chain. It was a small, clear test tube type object with metal lines circling it in a peculiar manner. "I always keep a few spares of these just in case."

"Well...what is it, exactly?" Kakashi asked in place of Iruka.

"It is called a Chakra Vial. Ancient tools, they are...really rare items, too. It is often considered to be the earliest form of today's Chakra Card," Jiraiya explained, flicking it lightly. "Now, I want you to touch one of the metal wirings and send a small amount of chakra through it."

Obediently, Iruka nodded, slowly raising his arm. With his pointer finger, he gingerly touched a random wire and concentrated a miniscule amount of his chakra as requested. For a while, nothing happened. Attempting to see the purpose, Iruka narrowed his eyes at it. A small smirk graced Jiraiya's aged face.

Suddenly, the air inside the vial began to glow. Iruka drew back, startled at first. A bright, dazzling purple illuminated from the smooth, translucent glass prism. The glow softly shined off his irises, adding a purple tinge to them. Jiraiya brought it up to his eye-level.

"Ahh...I see now..." Jiraiya declared. His smirk grew into a full fledged smile.

"What exactly does this thing test, Master Jiraiya?" Sakura inquired, coming closer to it for a better view.

"It tests the level of demonic chakra versus the amount of human chakra within a person. The color of the vial ranges from red to blue, and every color in between those two hues. See...there is a vapor harnessed within the glass, water vapor that has been evaporated directly from Serpendragon Tea Leaves. This vapor changes color to the tune of one's chakra." Jiraiya twirled the glass around absentmindedly. "Judging by the color...and the texture...you haven't been this way for long, have you?"

"Been...what way?" Iruka said questioningly.

"Oh, like you don't know..." Jiraiya chuckled, stashing the vial away. He scanned over the group, a more solemn expression upon him. They all had _the look_ in their eyes...It couldn't be possible, yet all evidence pointed towards it. He crossed his arms, holding a giggle as he avoided eye contact with them. He now could remember how the full moon sounded so familiar...

"I can't believe it...it's been...over twenty years since I've seen one alive...yet here they are again...right before my eyes. Werewolves...haha... werewolves!"

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End of Chapter

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	13. Lessons of a World Unknown

**Chapter 12**

_December 13__th_

Lessons of a World Unknown

"Where did they come from?"

"Are there others like us?"

"Is there a cure?"

"Why the full moon?"

"How does it make us change?"

"How did you even_ know_ about this?"

"All right now, hold up, hold up!" Jiraiya shouted to cease the incessant questioning. The group flinched at his bark. The old man rubbed his temples, groaning with mild irritation as he rested his back upon a tree. "You're going to give me a headache..."

Perceptively, Jiraiya gazed upon each of the wolves carefully. There had to be a logical explanation for them to be in Konoha...Never in his life had he known a werewolf to stray into Fire Country, let alone a whole pack of them. As he observed, he picked and sorted them.

Half of the group, the Nara child, the Hyuga heir, and Iruka Umino, were all fresh meat. It seemed they had been bitten fairly recently. Not a lot of signs could be seen, but there were enough for him to see they were werewolves.

Two of them, Kakashi and his young kunoichi pupil, had a more feral look in their eyes, but not yet completely monstrous. Jiraiya assumed both were within their second month as lycanthrope. That was when the blood of the beast was just beginning to boil.

After the categorizing, only one was left: the Uchiha brat. He narrowed his eyes, taking great care into discerning his case. Within his onyx irises was some sort of unexplainable evil. Deep beneath them, he could plainly see the beast lying dormant within. The cold stare Sasuke gave back made him shudder, but he did nothing but grin. Uchiha was clearly the one...the source.

"Sasuke Uchiha..." he called out his name, holding his stare in tact. "Are you perhaps...where this chain of werewolves began? You...are the source?"

Sasuke shut his eyes half-way, an emotionless line gracing his lips. "I am where the were_wolves_ began...but no...I'm afraid I'm not the source..."

"Were you born into this...or were you bitten?"

"I was bitten."

Jiraiya shook his head a few times. "No, no, that can't be right. That's impossible...The very last one died _long_ before any of you were born..." He paused for a good long time. "Do you know who it was that administered it to you?"

Uchiha nodded once slowly, holding his head down and closing his eyes. The night it all began was a terrifying one, and never in his life would he ever forget it, but neither would he regret it. It was the night of his rebirth, his liberation from the troubled life he once led. If only he had swallowed his pride long enough to thank him...

"Well?"

He lifted his eyelids, returning to reality. "I do...Naruto...was the one who bit me..."

Jiraiya perked up. He averted his eyes to Kakashi, thinking back on the tale of Naruto's transformations. His predicament was identical to that of a werewolf's, but it definitely wasn't the same. Now Uchiha claimed he was converted by the bite of a werefox? It didn't make any sense...

And he supposedly knew _everything _about werewolves.

"That's...so illogical I cannot even begin to comprehend it..." Jiraiya admitted. "Kakashi...you're sure Naruto isn't a werewolf...correct?"

"Yes, Master Jiraiya...I've seen his second form...A fox...a Nine-Tailed Fox..."

"And he transforms on the full moon?"

"Yes."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Jiraiya contemplated over the information he had. If only Naruto was physically present, this whole trial would be less straining to his tired mind.

He thought of the Chakra Vial and its workings. It tested for _demonic_ chakra...and werewolves' chakra contained demonic properties. Naruto's chakra, however, naturally carried this demonic tone of energy because of the Nine-Tailed Fox, but because of the seal's recent damage...more of the demonic chakra had slipped through and mixed with Naruto's...

Jiraiya had just been slapped, slapped straight in the face with realization.

"You all are asking me these questions...obviously you know so very little about this..." Jiraiya muttered, changing the subject.

"I'm afraid we don't know a lot, Master Jiraiya, if anything at all..." Iruka responded. "It's the whole reason we sought you out...but..."

"We didn't exactly expect you to know something about _this_," Shikamaru finished for him.

Kakashi coughed lightly with his eye closed. Their attention was drawn to him. "Master Jiraiya...how _much_ do you actually know?"

"How much do I know?" Jiraiya repeated mockingly, laughing heartily. "Are you kidding me, Kakashi?"

"Well..."

The sannin stifled a few chuckles behind closed lips. He couldn't place why he found it amusing. "Kakashi, I've written a_ book _on werewolves. I spent many years of my life studying them...I even spent some time traveling with a pack of them. I, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin, know everything there is to know about a werewolf," he declared boldly, brandishing a vigorous grin for them.

After another bout of silence, Iruka turned to look at Kakashi, a sheepish smile on his lips. "Huh...I guess you knew what you were talking about when you decided to come here..."

"Honestly...I had no clue..." Kakashi shrugged, finding it difficult to say much else.

"Th-That's great, Master Jiraiya!" Hinata spoke up, overjoyed by this discovery.

"Does that mean you can teach us?" Sakura asked promptly after. Jiraiya smirked at their enthusiasm to learn.

It was easier to understand why they insisted the search for Naruto. Werewolves were powerful creatures gifted with unmatchable strength, agility, and sensory devices. However, the typical lycan had the tendency to be easy to outsmart due to their terrible tempers. The properly trained werewolf could get past that, but very few were ever educated in the art of combating anger. It cost them dearly...

Here was his chance to prevent the re-extinction of their kind.

With one quick nod, Jiraiya took a comfortable seat on the ground. "I can, and will...but!" He pointed a finger up at them as they sat as well. "I need a commitment out of all of you...a commitment to listen to everything I say and take heed to it. However...I'm not going to have time to tell you very much immediately...I have an appointment with the Hokage."

They each nodded and sat, agreeing to the verbal contract presented to them. Jiraiya tapped his feet together as he stared into the sky for a hint of where to begin. It'd been many years since he had communicated this information openly to someone.

"I'll begin by asking you all a question...How many of you would describe being a werewolf as a_ curse_?" he inquired, scanning across the semi-circle they formed. They did nothing. "Go on, raise your hands."

One by one, they each raised their hands, excluding Sasuke. A smart-alecky smirk appeared on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We have a five to one vote...tell me Uchiha. What would _you_ describe being a werewolf as?"

Sasuke scoffed at him, unable to fathom why he too called it a curse... "I call it a gift." This made Shikamaru roll his eyes.

"Right...Regardless...You're all wrong," Jiraiya stated cheerily. His new students became dearly confused. "It is a mistake many make, mostly because of media and propaganda's influence on your minds. Other ways people have described it are _diseased_ and _poisoned_, but those are also incorrect."

"So, what is it then, Master Jiraiya?" Sakura asked timidly.

"Lycanthropy is actually considered a chakra nature. Everything that occurs within a werewolf is controlled by chakra, not magic, nor a god or other heavenly force. It is nothing more than their chakra. However...regardless of the technical side of it...it can still be called a curse—or a gift—since...well... Once you obtain that chakra nature, you're stuck with it for life. How you deal with that determines whether it is a curse or a gift to you."

"So...that means...there really isn't a cure for it," Kakashi stated plainly.

"Correct. None were ever made, none were discovered, and none of the myths of cleansing oneself of the curse are true..." It was a fact that many werewolves didn't care to hear about, but it was one they deserved to know. "Anyways...moving on..."

Their eyes were locked into Jiraiya's once more.

"There are two possible ways for a werewolf to come into being. They can either inherit the chakra nature from a parent, or they obtain it from another werewolf's bite. Apparently, you've all been bitten, so there is no need to explain the hereditary side of it...

"I'm sure you're all quite confused on how getting bitten has caused this abnormal change within you…The Bite is the most common way for a werewolf to come into existence. When a werewolf _in the wolf form_ bites a human, they are subconsciously sending small bits of their own demonic chakra into the human's chakra and blood streams. The chakra they transfer attaches itself to the human's, imbuing it with demonic energy, transforming it into what is called "were-chakra". Once the chakra has completed its job, the newly created were-chakra reacts immediately to the moon, forcing the very first transformation."

"Were-chakra? Kind of an uncreative name for it don't you think?" Shikamaru muttered.

"Yes, yes, I know...I myself question its title, but I have no power over it."

"But here's something I wanna know...Why would _Naruto _biting _Sasuke_ make a _werewolf_?"

Jiraiya sighed apathetically. "I can't give you a definite answer, but I have a credible theory behind it. Basically, Naruto _is_ a werewolf."

"But I thought you said he wasn't."

"I didn't, Kakashi did."

"So he is a werewolf."

"Yes and no."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"And no."

"Make up your mind!"

"Fine…fine…Naruto can be classified under the general category of metamorph. The only reason he would be forced to transform under a full moon is because of were-chakra, which is created by combination of human and demon chakra. The Fox within him is a pure source of demonic chakra, therefore making it easy for him to become a were. His form is different from that of a wolf's because of that direct influence. When he bit Sasuke, likely he transferred the Fox's demonic chakra. When it mixed with Sasuke's, it recreated the true variation of were-chakra. But...then again...it's just a simple theory."

"Simple my ass..." Shikamaru spat out bitterly.

"So uh...Master Jiraiya...this...were-chakra...how...exactly does it make us transform? Why only on the full moon if it's not a curse?" Hinata questioned.

"That goes back to the more technical point of lycanthropy. The werewolf transformation is triggered by the full moon, yes, but that is because were-chakra is a feeding chakra. Feeding chakra is chakra that requires some type of substance to perform its job. In this case, moonlight is its substance of choice. Whenever the moon is in the sky, whether you're in direct contact with it or not your chakra will feed off the light, increasing its size, density, and mass. On the full moon, it over-gorges itself, and your chakra stream can no longer hold it. Naturally, it releases itself and enters the blood stream.

"At that point, every ounce of your chakra is being used. If this sort of thing were to happen to a human, they would most certainly be dead in an instant. This is not the case for a werewolf. Were-chakra practically has a mind of its own, and it is very smart. When it is released, it attacks your body on the cellular level, converting DNA, creating new cells made of pure chakra that multiply without hurting the host—well it _does _hurt, but it is not as if the pain is going to kill you. Since near all of your chakra is being used for these cells, you are left incapable of performing most, if not all jutsu in the wolf form. Ironic how these creatures have such incredible chakra levels, but are limited to the most basic jutsus."

Taking this information in at once was difficult to accomplish, but feasible enough for the likes of them. A lot of it seemed very unnecessary to know, for what use was understanding the workings without knowing how to trigger it? Regardless of the dry details, to them anything would suffice. Jiraiya's knowledge was like a gold-mine. Sometimes you found gold, and sometimes you didn't. They had no reason to be picky.

"So, I think that covers the basics..." Jiraiya muttered, breaking the awkward silence. He stared at the sky to determine the time. It was fairly close to two. "Is there anything else you wish to ask me? I'll take three more questions. I'd love to stick around for more, but I'm going to be late for that meeting..."

The pack looked at one another, searching quietly for the best few inquiries to pose. There was still so much they wanted to know, but when limited to only a few questions it was necessary to only ask the most vital of them. An uncomfortable tension developed between them as they contemplated their final statements.

"I've got a question, Master Jiraiya," Sakura spoke up. Jiraiya nodded, motioning her to continue. "It's about...jutsu usage. How narrow is that limit on jutsu anyways? Would I be able to use medical jutsu while...transformed?"

"Far as I'm concerned, medical jutsu are among the most useable in the wolf form. They take few hand signs if any, and their chakra usage is very strict and controlled. Take it from me; I've known quite a few werewolves prominent in medical jutsu. Their strength in combat is phenomenal, day and night. You should be just fine."

Sakura heaved a relieved sigh, smiling afterwards.

"You said you've written a book on werewolves," stated Sasuke promptly after. "If you can't tell us everything, perhaps the book can. How can we get a copy?"

"The book has every slice of information I ever obtained during my travels. Certainly, the book is going to remember everything better than an old man like myself can, but...I'm afraid the book itself is not going to be easy to obtain...there are only five copies of it in existence. I didn't exactly want this to be a good-read you can just pick up at a bookstore. I had one copy distributed to each of the Great Shinobi Villages, and they each have a group of minority shinobi villages in which they are permitted to lend the book to."

"So there is one here."

"Yes...but to get to it, you have to get through the Hokage. Not that she ever believed in them…no, she called me _crazy_ when I told her these stories."

"You said you have an appointment with Lady Tsunade soon. Can't you convince her to lend it out to you?" Kakashi inquired.

"She'd be suspicious...I'd have to give her a good reason."

"You can come up with an excuse, can't you?"

"I suppose...I suppose I can try."

Kakashi bowed his head in respect. "Thank you, Master Jiraiya."

"All right. Last question before I take off...Tsunade's gonna punch me through a wall If I'm even a second late," Jiraiya whined as he rubbed the side of his face he generally received the beating.

Iruka swallowed his unease, staring at the dirt below him anxiously. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he mucked up the courage to speak. There was one other thing he hadn't heard...the one thing he wanted to hear...

"W-well...I...we...We're wondering," he stuttered, scratching the top of his head. "Is it...Is it possible for us to...er...transform when we desire? Y'know... sometime other than the full moon?"

It got quiet again. Jiraiya gave Iruka a hard, calculative stare. He took deep even breaths as he thought on his reply. The subject was explainable, but it'd be nothing but hollow sentences. While the concept could be translated into words, it was only truly graspable through hands-on experience.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to go into that, Iruka," he grumbled gruffly as he stood up. "As much as I wish to help you...Now is not the time for us to discuss it."

Jiraiya tugged his backpack, flinging it over his shoulders. He started off in the village's direction without another word. Iruka looked at him disbelievingly, jumping to his feet and following him.

"Wait, does that mean there's a way?" Iruka questioned frantically.

"Like I said, it needs to be saved for another time..."

"But we don't have time to wait, Master Jiraiya! If it is possible to learn we are ready to give it our all...for Naruto's sake..."

The Sannin paused in his stride, Iruka doing the same. Iruka's shoulders noticeably rose with his breathing as he attempted to remain calm. He was achy, he was exhausted, only motivated to forge forward purely on the grounds of searching for his student, the boy he cherished as his own child. He wasn't about to let Jiraiya brush them off because of a meeting, not yet.

"Jiraiya...Do you not have feelings for Naruto? Don't you even care?"

Jiraiya turned around to gaze upon them all, tinges of hurt in his eyes. He could sense the same pain in all of them; even slothful Nara child and bratty Uchiha were fairly upset. If only they understood that he wasn't denying them because he didn't care...it was far beyond that. Jiraiya cared just about as much as anyone here and wanted to offer anything he could to the cause.

"I care, Iruka. I care far more than you perceive me to," Jiraiya explained bleakly, "I knew...I knew all along that someday the seal the Fourth Hokage set would begin to fail him...I knew Naruto would have to suffer to be our savior. I kept telling myself that it was never going to happen...for nobody... especially Naruto...deserves to lead such a life."

"Then why do you refuse to tell us? If we can achieve second form without the full moon...then the line between us and Naruto will be shattered. We can bring him home."

"I'm not refusing to tell you. I'm simply saying I can't tell you _now_. You see..." Jiraiya pointed up to the sky. The group stared up at its cascade of bright blue curiously. "It's broad daylight. Do you not remember what I told you about were-chakra?"

Allowing them no time to think and reply, he circled around and paced down the path once more, leaving the group in a befuddled state. They gazed at his back with anticipation for any more words he had to say. Iruka just opened his mouth to speak again before Jiraiya's deep voice echoed back to them.

"If you _really _want me to tell you," he shouted to them in a smug tone, "I'll be waiting for you tonight at the Memorial Stone...when the last trace of sunlight disappears..."

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There is an eerie dullness to a winter night. The singing insects and nocturnal birds had long since retired for these three months of absence, hiding from the seasonal changes. The wind no longer created soothing whispers in the trees, but quietly slipped between their bare branches. The night had become stale and lackluster since the frost took over.

Heeding to his promise, Jiraiya trudged through the cold air, rubbing his arms hand-in-hand to stay warm. His every breath created a cloud of white mist below his nostrils. How he hated winter and the blood chilling freeze it cast over them.

He glanced at the sky every so often, catching eye of the misshaped moon. Large amounts of thick clouds drifted past it, causing him some distress. His teachings would become difficult if the moon were to be concealed behind them. With that in mind, he picked up the pace, becoming increasingly aware of how late he was.

At long last he emerged from the trees, diligently searching for his newest pupils. He'd spent a majority of his life as a teacher, so a few extra students never hurt. He was happy to pass his knowledge to new and younger generations.

He smiled proudly at finding his pack of wolves silently waiting in the area. However, they were sparsely located, the only two next to each other being Iruka and Kakashi. The two of them were staring distantly at the memorial stone. He quirked an eyebrow; He couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of conflict between them.

While it was true Sakura was avoiding Sasuke, Shikamaru and Hinata were not isolating themselves due to anger or shyness. Shikamaru was too tired to socialize and decided to nap as he awaited the Sannin's arrival. Hinata felt she could use a little silence and balanced her back upon a nearby tree. The two of them were not allowed the rest they wanted, causing them a mass case of exhaustion.

Shikamaru's mother had risen hell earlier on today, scolding him violently for not returning home the previous night. No matter how much he apologized, she kept at it. He made the excuse "I just didn't feel like it", but obviously this maddened mother did not take such an answer. His father sat quietly in the other room, sipping on some tea, not thinking once of defending his case.

Hinata had a similar problem, but her lecture was conducted in a more civil manner. Hiashi, her father explained calmly how distressed the family was at her disappearance. She had no believable excuses to make, so she consistently agreed with his words.

Jiraiya released a loud, fake cough to catch their attention. Their eyes were immediately caught onto his. A devious, conniving glint tinted his eyes as he stepped towards the stone.

"Well, well...and I honestly considered none of you would show..." he stated playfully. With his head, he motioned the four children to join them. They did so a little reluctantly.

"So..." Jiraiya began, removing his pack and setting it on the ground. "You all want to know...Can you transform...when you want...?"

"Yes, Master Jiraiya...As Iruka said...our ability to transform is the only thing standing between us and Naruto," Kakashi responded sullenly.

"In that case...I have some good news for you all." They perked up considerably. "The answer to that question is yes, you can..."

"We assumed as much, Master Jiraiya," Iruka retorted. "What we don't understand is why you made us wait until now for you to formally answer."

"Because, Iruka...there is a catch to triggering a transformation without the full moon," Jiraiya explained harshly. "Were-chakra cannot cause the transformation without moonlight, and is completely crippled when in contact with sunlight. It would have been pointless to teach you how to transform at will if it were still daytime. That is why I held you off until now."

Iruka averted his eyes, nodding solemnly in agreement. He wished to apologize for his rude behaviors, but deep down he knew Jiraiya understood. It was a difficult adjustment, one day a human, emerging from the night a beast. His anger naturally got the better of him.

"This also means the question itself cannot be answered with just a yes or a no. You _can_ transform at will, so long as the moon shines and the sun does not. What phase the moon is determines how _easy_ it actually is...From the looks of it now, full moon must have been just last night, right?"

They nodded in sync.

"Good. Then it is the perfect night for you to learn." Jiraiya stared up at the drifting clouds. "Though the weather isn't as ideal...I'm sure you'll all do just fine...Now! Why don't we get started while the night is young?"

The pack bowed their heads respectfully, grateful for Jiraiya's generosity to offer them such knowledge without asking of anything in return...They could scarcely imagine if there would be anyone else in the village this willing to help and this understanding of their plight. The only payment they could offer was their eternal gratitude and their effort.

"We'll start with an exercise. I want you all to sit in a meditating position. You know, the chakra control practice position."

Jiraiya joined them as they descended to the ground. Entering the stance, they established total connection in their bodies. Fist-to-fist, sole-to-sole. Naturally, they closed their eyes, breathing slowly and even as their minds concentrated on the flow and became in tune with themselves.

"Once you get the feel of this exercise, achieving the transformation will become second nature to you. To begin, locate your every last pinch of chakra in your body. Know where it is, and know where it goes."

A good amount of them were having difficulty. Some were clenching their eyelids together and gritting their teeth, obviously having trouble with this, the simplest step of the exercise. These physical signs showed there was tension within them.

"Don't concentrate too hard. If you do, it slows the flow. Let your chakra move as it naturally does."

The stress in their muscles decreased immediately after he spoke. They took a different approach to find their chakra, taking it at a slower pace than before to relieve the strain. When Jiraiya could sense the calm, the tranquility they instituted with their chakra and the world surrounding them, he deemed them ready to take the next step.

"Now, search for your center. Find your very core, the core from which your chakra originates. Memorize this center point. Once it is found, force your chakra to that point as compacted as you possibly can. This is a key aspect, so understand and recognize this feeling."

From calm to almost pained, their expressions became stressed. To put all of one's chakra into a single part of themselves was difficult enough. Iruka gritted his teeth, a constricted feeling pounding his being, indicating he had located his center. Valiantly, he held the chakra at that point, impatiently awaiting further instruction. The sensation was vaguely similar to how Sasuke felt before his very first change. All his chakra seemed to have been lost, but it was still there in a ball around his stomach.

"Were-chakra, unlike most feeding chakras," Jiraiya began explaining, "isn't particularly picky on what it feeds its power off of. The moon serves as its preferred substance, but on a night other than the full moon, there is not enough moonlight to trigger the change. In other words, only when the were-chakra is "full" will it transform your body, and therefore you must offer it additional substance so it may become full. The additional substance that is the most convenient and efficient is the human part of your chakra. By condensing you chakra in one place, the were-chakra will try to escape this confinement by feeding through itself, and in the process it causes the transformation."

As they achieved his set goal, Jiraiya smiled. He had great confidence in their skills with chakra, considering they had been previously trained as Shinobi. Their ability to control it was beyond that of most werewolves he'd met in the day. Regardless, he would have never imagined them to catch onto it so quickly. Somehow, he had a feeling that they were ready to do the real thing.

"All right, you can let go of the hold."

A chorus of relieved sighs lolled over, a few groans of annoyance mixed in. They dropped out of the meditation stance and relaxed, allowing their chakra to return to its normal routine.

"You will be doing something similar when triggering the transformation. It is all a matter of concentrating chakra to your center to let it build up in intensity. How much, and how long you must do so depends entirely on the phase of the moon. It will take you many months to truly master this technique, but that's not something we need to worry about right now..."

Jiraiya stood up and walked away from the group, towards the lake his eyes locked on the moon. The worst of the clouds had passed. With his back turned, he took a deep breath in, and then let it out.

"Would the two Sharingan users please come forth," he requested in a loud voice. Sasuke and Kakashi looked at one another for a moment. Obediently, they came to him. Jiraiya faced them, a hard, serious expression crossing his aged face.

"For beginners, there is a hand-sign sequence werewolves can use to trigger a transformation," Jiraiya declared. "The sequence is purposely designed to work with the chakra in the manner you did just now, and it causes an effortless transformation. However, it is only intended to be used as your training wheels, simply because the transformation will not happen as quickly if you use the hand-signs then if you did it the manual way that was just introduced to you through the exercise."

"So, why only teach us two?" Kakashi asked.

"Simply because you two will learn quicker is why. With the Sharingan, you two will be able to copy me as I perform the hand-signs, but of course it won't be doing anything to me…Your purpose is to demonstrate to the others."

"Let's get started then," Sasuke said impatiently with a grin, the Sharingan already blazing in his eyes.

"Not so fast. There's one other thing I need you to do," Jiraiya retorted, holding up one finger. Sasuke's grin dropped and his eyes faded back to black in mild disappointment. "I need you to take off your clothes."

Their faces lit up with heat, faintly hearing playful titters behind them. Particularly the females were amused by Jiraiya's request.

"Uh...all of it...Master Jiraiya?" Kakashi queried nervously.

"Well, to the extent of what's comfortable. I'm not asking you to strip for your friends over there...it's just from what I've learned, loosing clothes to the transformation is a pain. It's smart—in the most crude way of saying it—to get as naked as you possibly can before transforming, because one day you will regret it."

Even Sasuke had the dignity to show he was a little embarrassed of the situation. He couldn't help but agree...He'd lost enough outfits already, so the logic behind Jiraiya's words was agreeable.

Though hesitant, the two began to remove their clothes. They both had started with the headbands. Sasuke awkwardly slipped his shirt off, getting stuck inside it for a moment or two. Sasuke removed his arm and leg warmers as well as his sandals. He now noticed how dreadfully cold it was as his shorts came off last, leaving him in a pair of white boxers. Kakashi followed similar procedures, eliminating his body of all clothing, including the mask. He had also chosen to stop at the underwear. Immediately his once warm skin was bitten viciously by the frosty air. He rubbed his arms in a futile attempt to recreate heat.

"All right, now let's get you into those pelts of fur before you freeze," Jiraiya stated. Their Sharingan eyes became locked onto him, sending chills down his spine. "Copy my every move, exactly and precisely. Shortly after performing the sequence, you should transform."

They nodded solemnly, adjusting their movements to perfectly imitate Jiraiya's, down to the last detail. They were even breathing in time. The other four stared in awe as Jiraiya's fluid movements were mirrored without flaw. Sharingan's uncanny ability of mimicry was downright creepy, but admirable.

"Inu, i, ne," the three chanted in a calm, monotone voice. Jiraiya took them through it at a slow place to ensure the others would pick it up. Somehow Sasuke and Kakashi could feel their chakra stir within the chakra network as they preformed this mysterious sequence. "Hitsuji, i, ne, tori, tora, u, tatsu, hitsuji..." He paused mid-sequence, preparing himself mentally to view what he had not laid eyes on for ages... "inu!"

For a while, nothing occurred. The three stood frozen on the spot, stuck on the hand-sign for dog. Their audience was on the edge of their seats, anxiously anticipating for what was to happen next. Iruka's heart pounded against his chest, and he swallowed on a nervous impulse. He could vaguely remember how _it_ had begun...

Kakashi had faltered in his stance, and his breathing became noticeably heavier. A weakness in his legs was apparent; they shuddered and twitched every so often. Kakashi let out a harsh cough and gave into his desire to collapse onto the ground. He curled his fingers and toes in, digging his blackened, sharper nails into the earth.

Their transformation had begun.

Sasuke did not pitch to the floor as Kakashi had. Silent and still he stood, staring gravely upon Kakashi with bright golden eyes. He tapped his growing claws lightly against the side of his leg. His demeanor suggested little if nothing was occurring, but the change forged through Sasuke as fiercely as Kakashi. Sasuke was just more used to it. Amused, Sasuke laughed at Kakashi's dilemma, flaring his fangs to him in a demented grin. However, his moment of triumph was destroyed quickly. That infuriating, burning itch covered him as if fire ants had been peppered over his skin. He grunted lightly, holding back the need to scratch the patches of black fur that cultivated upon his body.

Only their sheer curiosity and bewilderment compelled the witnesses to continue watching this wonder of wonders. Familiar sounds of bone and muscle shifting and growing rang in their ears. It was twice as nauseating to listen to when coming from another. The little clothing they chose to wear quickly became ill-fitted and gave way. Long furry tails extended in their stead, swaying in the soft breeze. Their faces were hidden from their eyes, so the final touch to the beast form was shielded from their viewing pleasure.

Moments later the wolves shot their muzzles into the air, each letting loose proud, strident howls. Jiraiya merely smirked while the others shielded their ears from its strenuous sound.

"Man...that's still _really_ creepy," Shikamaru muttered once their wails had ceased. He turned to Sakura. "Does he always have to howl? And so _loud_?" He rubbed his head tiredly, feeling a headache creep its way upon him.

"I don't know," Sakura replied, staring upon the black wolf creature in displeasure. "It just seems we always do it...after a change. It's like there's some kind of...beckoning to howl."

Kakashi shook his head, his pointed ears flopping around a little as he managed to assume a bipedal position like Sasuke. Jiraiya stared attentively, his hand rubbing his chin as if he were in deep thought. His smug smirk grew in size as he paced in a circle round the two werewolves.

"Hm...nice...very nice," he said to them. "You have quite beautiful wolf forms, if you don't mind me saying. You did an excellent job, the both of you. Keep that hand sequence in memory. You and your pack are going to need it."

Jiraiya walked between them, approaching the remaining four. A look of defiance sparked in their eyes; it was a wild kind of boldness showing their confidence.

"Now, it is your turn..."

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End of Chapter

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	14. My Pain, My Pleasure

**Chapter 13**

_December 13__th__ – December 15__th_

My Pain, My Pleasure

The moon drifted daintily in the sky as the night went on. The six wolves remained in the area to admire its beautiful splendors, cherishing every moment of its presence. They bathed in its light, finally at ease for the first time in many weeks. Their glowing, feral eyes stared it down fiercely with their tails smoothly running through the grass.

Jiraiya had decided it best for him to stay with them. His teachings for the night were completed, and all of the wolves had been capable of reaching the second form with his instruction. However, it'd been ages since he spent a night watching the moon, relaxing with a group of lycanthropes in an undisturbed environment—yes, he had done it before.

There was one thing he could say off the bat about them: they were definitely the most colorful pack of wolves he'd ever seen in his day. Perhaps not in fur color, but they each had different body structures and retained many self-defining features. He knew he'd never be able to mistake any one of them for another.

Jiraiya laughed to himself as he gazed upon this pack of wolves. They laid on the ground as any canine would, resting beneath the moon with an otherworldly bliss. In essence they had become little more than peaceful dogs, not even close to the monsters as the human race had seen their kind as years before.

"Werewolves...not very many things like 'em," he muttered aloud. "It's why I became so interested in the first place. I cannot express how enthralling it is to see them alive again..."

Kakashi rolled over onto his side to stretch his limbs out. He poked the tip of his tongue out and closed his eyes while doing so. "Can't sayI'm not flattered."

Jiraiya chuckled. "You're welcome, I guess, but...speaking seriously..."

He reopened his mismatched eyes, giving him a hard, concentrated stare.

"Regardless of how spectacular it may be...I fear you all may be in grave danger in the near future. In more ways than one," the old sage declared, looking away from their beastly gazes. Their eyes were too powerful, too mighty for the likes of him; his simple mortality was unworthy.

"It is a difficult thing to keep secret sometimes. More times than not, humans will look at your ability and shun you for it—regardless if that person is someone you've known your whole life, you never know who will react positively or negatively. It is generally in human nature to be afraid of strange, bizarre things...and fear can lead to anger and hatred. For your sakes…I beg you all to promise that you'll never ever share this secret with another human.

"The other thing I'm afraid of...is Naruto." The name burned viciously at their ears. Merely mentioning him was like a kunai to the heart. "I am supportive of your cause, and I'm prepared to do whatever I can to help. Though I have scarce amounts of knowledge about the situation, I can sense deep down that... this isn't going to be easy. He's been on the run for so long, there's no way of telling how far away he could have gone. And then again, he may not have gone too far at all."

"I am well aware it's not going to be easy, Master Jiraiya," said Kakashi. "I'm confident we all know it."

There was a series of nods among them all.

Kakashi sighed, absentmindedly gliding his paw through the dead grass. With a soft grunt he managed to lift his body off the ground. He strolled in front of the group and sat before them. The moonlight's faint energy beat down on his back; it provided him both consolation and confidence.

"I'm also confident that no matter where he has gone, we will be able to find him. I for one am not about to let anything dreadful happen to him," he said before adding quietly, "Heavens forbid that anything already has."

"Talking like that isn't exactly helpful," Shikamaru intervened. "Hell, even thinking like that is a bad idea, Kakashi."

Kakashi gruffly snorted at his statement. "You're right. I'm sorry." He released a long airy sigh through his nostrils before continuing. "We've waited far too long to take this rescue mission into action," he replied, stomping once at the earth with self hatred. "Now it's done. We are equipped with adequate forces, as well as a better understanding and even better control of this...power. Therefore, I have made a decision."

He paused for a moment to assure he had their undivided attentions. The majority of them were unaware and ill-prepared for his next words.

"We're leaving in three days." Gasps and sounds of confusion lolled over them as they turned to one another for consolation. Hinata pinned her ears back in distress; her deep purple eyes trailed downwards to her furred chest. She knew she wasn't ready for this yet. It had only been one day, and she needed much more time to adjust to these constant changes she was undergoing.

"Three days, Kakashi? Sure, maybe you and your two trainees have sufficient experience...but...think of the other three. Hadn't they just been bitten _last night_?" Jiraiya suggested pressingly. "And you're _all_ just beginning your training...It'd be far too dangerous to go now."

"I know there is a lack of practice, but Jiraiya we are out of time. I almost consider three days too much. If I had no empathy I would have chosen to leave now."

"Fine, fine...I am not the pack leader here...I am but your humble guide..."

Kakashi's right ear twitched towards the old man. Pack leader? Jiraiya sure had a strange way of putting things…For the most part, yes, Kakashi had been calling the shots. He was the oldest of the six, the largest wolf of them too, and he had many excellent qualities that defined leadership. However, he could never see himself as their "leader". Deep down he could feel it wasn't his place in this little grouping Jiraiya had deemed as a pack.

Sighing yet again, Kakashi slumped his shoulders forward. He hit his tail against the ground once, and then again. Of all times he was finding it difficult to be calm. He wasn't getting angry, or at least he didn't think he was. It was more of his anxiety getting the better of him. With Naruto constantly on his mind, even in his sleep, it was no wonder he could not retain a tranquil state of mind. He was always thinking of what he could have done to change the outcome of this whole ordeal, what he should have done to prevent it, and if he was right to have put more through this for the cause.

"If we need more practice, then we need you, Jiraiya," Kakashi said, causing the whole group to turn their gaze to the old man lounging in the dead grass. "Your expertise on this…is most invaluable…You could come with us perhaps."

"Sorry, no can do, Kakashi...I have other things to take care of here in the village. However, I can free up some time in my schedule...for a few more practice sessions like these before you turn yourselves loose."

"That would be the best way to substitute if you really can't."

"Again, I apologize…but Tsunade's been on my tail about coming and going for a long time and I can't just disappear when things are tight…Speaking of Tsunade," he trailed off, reaching into his clothing with a thoughtful look on his face. He grasped a moderate sized book with a plain black leather cover. There were no words; only a shining silver circle was imprinted on the upper-left corner of it. There were a few tabs poking out of its top

"Is that the book you told us about?" asked Shikamaru.

"You got it. The Big Book of Werewolves by yours truly." Lazily he tossed it in the center of the group, and they all stared at it with befuddled eyes. "It's got anything and everything you'd ever need to know about a werewolf."

Kakashi pulled it over with his paw and delicately used a claw to open the cover. The text was extremely small, but still readable. No wonder the book was so compact for something that covered such a broad subject. On the inside of the cover was a table of contents, but the first page went straight to the first section

"_What is a Werewolf?" _read the title. _"A fantasy most might say. An impossibility in the eyes of many. If it is so impossible to shape shift into a beast, then why are humans capable of conjuring fire or willing water to do as we please? Werewolves have been thought of as myths, but they are but a dream, or a nightmare come true. They are very real, and they are very misunderstood. A werewolf is not a monster, nor is he a wild animal. They are humans, cursed humans, but humans nonetheless."_

"Of course, not all of it is of any use to you. I've book-marked a few sections of interest, though. I highly recommend you look at them."

Kakashi flipped through the tabbed pages, idly catching their titles. _"The History of Werewolves, The Nature of Were-Chakra, Werewolf Behavior, The Art and Culture, Diseases and Mental Illnesses…"_

That last one had Kakashi a little worried.

"You really have out done yourself Jiraiya. It must have taken you years to gather this information," Kakashi complimented before carefully shutting the tome of unbeatable knowledge.

"It wasn't easy, but it was rather fulfilling," the Sannin replied with his eyes distantly locked to the moon. He then made a dismissive gesture towards Kakashi. "You may go ahead and borrow that book. Tsunade is convinced I'm borrowing it for a trip down memory lane…It is you of all people who deserve to have it."

The large silver wolf bowed his head. "Thank you, Master Jiraiya…"

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The days went by at a snail's pace. Each second was mind-numbing nothingness. Each tick of a clock stabbed them like a knife. Some would have preferred to have left that night, while others enjoyed this peace of mind though boring and painful as it was. Of course, they had been meeting with Jiraiya for the extra practice, and though it occupied time, most of the group would rather not have to be a wolf every night…

As the day of their departure drew near, there was an ominous, foreboding sensation among them as the continued to tread within the walls. They couldn't help but feel…that there was a chance they'd never return. A chance that this wonderful place would become a distant memory…

Paranoia, another common early werewolf symptom, and particularly Sasuke was having a lot of it.

It was the second day, late in the evening. Tomorrow night was the scheduled departure.

"_I just don't understand...is it because of me?" _

"_Or is it because of Naruto?"_

"_She's been acting weird lately, especially after that last full moon..."_

"_I don't know why she would be so upset."_

He poked his head out of the alley tentatively as he watched the girl walk down the street. Only her hair allowed him to pick her out of the crowd, as it was a very unique shade of pink shared by no one else.

"_Something had to have happened that night...she was perfectly fine before it." _

"_To say the least...we were just starting to get along."_

She finally passed by his post. Involuntarily, he breathed in through his nostrils to take in her scent. Once able to filter through all the other human scents wafting around, her unique odor reached his senses. She always smelt so very sweet, like some undiscovered species of flower coated in scents of baby powder and sugar. There were still other, more unpleasant scents upon her, such as her natural scent and the musk of sweat, but they were so discreet it did not bother him.

"_And now every time I see her, she won't look at me, she won't speak to me."_

"_Still...why this is...is far beyond me, but what's more confusing is...why do I care?"_

Sasuke slipped into the crowd, and he began to follow her. His eyes never strayed elsewhere. He assumed now was a good time to get to the bottom of things.

As the influx of people started to thin, Sasuke had to take shelter in trees and alleyways to remain hidden from her. Where she was walking made it seem like she wasn't attempting to return home. She was almost aimlessly wandering the streets, eyes directed to the ground distantly and emotionlessly as the sun drifted away.

There were a lot of things wrong with Sasuke. For one, he was stalking her like an overly obsessed fan to a celebrity, and he had been every day and night since Sakura ceased showing affection towards him.

…Not that he cared.

Or perhaps…he actually did.

That was the other thing. He had somehow gained an untamable desire for her, and it had been like that ever since he first laid eyes on that second form of hers. Since then, he unnoticeably would treat her with kindness and understanding; he did not mind showing his soft side to her. In return she became dependant on him for comfort. In a way it comforted him as well, for he too suffered a bitter loneliness without the blonde boy around.

Naruto having gone missing had a larger impact on himself then he previously thought. Had he inconspicuously fallen in love? Gone insane? Or was he just following another instinct?

Quietly he pushed ahead of her and hid himself carefully behind a building she was approaching. He had questions, and he needed answers. She was the final person upon the streets, so he would have no interruptions.

Sakura held herself arm in arm and her footsteps echoed through the empty village like a dying heartbeat. Sasuke listened carefully to the tune to ensure he timed himself right. As she drew close, his muscles tensed and he gripped his hands into fists. She passed by his hiding spot, not even noticing his presence. This was his moment to strike.

Quickly he took hold of her wrists and kept them tightly locked betwixt his fingers. Her eyes went wide with fear and a feeble gasp sounded off. Before she could make a sound he had his free hand clamped over her mouth. She grunted as she struggled against him; it would be futile.

Sasuke dragged her through the village with little strife. Luckily he didn't have far to go, conveniently having made his move so very close to home. That was where he planned to take her, concealed in his room until she revealed what he needed to know. He had a notion she wasn't going to be very happy with him, and while he was forcibly moving her he wondered if he should have just confronted her face to face rather than attacked her.

Him and his dumb impulses…

By slipping through a carelessly open window, he was able to take her through his house and up to his bedroom. Once he released her, he received a violent and ill-aimed punch to his shoulder. It didn't hurt as much as it could have; he'd seen what kinds of damage she could do when she was actually trying to hurt someone. Once the dull throbbing was shaken off, he turned to look her in the eye.

Meeting his gaze did not remove her angry scowl. Now he knew kidnapping her was a _really _bad idea. The point of this encounter was to set things straight between them, not to worsen them. Instinct commanded him to growl back, but pure will power forced the thought out of his head. Instead he stared into her eyes as calmly as he possibly could, hoping it would in turn calm her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sakura questioned with her eyes narrowed with both rage and confusion.

Sasuke took a deep breath before propping his back up. "Don't know…I need to talk to you."

"Well thanks, I'm flattered; I _really_ enjoyed being abducted just 'cause you wanted to talk to me," she snapped while briskly making for the door. She was in no mood to speak with him, especially after he nearly frightened her to death by sneaking up on her. He stopped her by clapping his hand upon her shoulder. The two exchanged glares.

"You've been avoiding me." His words drawled out with subtle viciousness. Sakura broke their eye contact and glanced to the wood flooring.

"No, I haven't," she denied monotonously.

He furrowed his brow angrily. "That's a lie. Why is it when you see me that you won't look at me?"

Sakura brushed her hair out of her eyes and bore them into Sasuke's, just to prove him wrong. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied. Sparks of fury singed Sasuke's nerves.

"If this is about Naruto, it isn't my fault whatsoever."

She bit her lip and clenched her hands into fists at the mere mention of him.

"It isn't about Naruto!" Sakura yelled suddenly, tears welling up in her eyes. This caused him to back away and straighten up. She sniffed and rubbed her watery eyes in a feeble attempt to hold back the dreadful emotion she was displaying.

"Then tell me," he said calmly.

Sakura pursed her lips, silently debating the possible replies in her mind. "It doesn't matter anymore," she mumbled.

"What doesn't matter?" he asks, rubbing her shoulder to comfort her. "Everything you have to say matters to me."

"It's nothing," Sakura says quietly, looking from his hand to his flawless face.

"It obviously isn't. You're upset."

"It's nothing," she repeated with more intensity in her tone.

"Do you think I'm blind?" Technically he wasn't, but to Sakura he was blind as one could be.

She groans at his persistence. To think she could ever be annoyed with Sasuke…Sakura ripped her shoulder away from him and snarled, "It's _nothing_, Sasuke!"

"If it is as petty as nothing I think you can tell me what it is!" he shouts back, becoming frustrated with her. It wasn't the right thing to do, but perhaps it was the only way for him to get through to her.

Her desire to reply burned through her throat like fire, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold it back. The foreboding silence that followed goaded her craving to speak further. Sakura contemplated how she could say it, for it would be hard on both of them. Nervously she attempted to swallow the scorching word trying to escape, but eventually she failed.

"You."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He felt like he was struck in the heart with a knife, like someone brutally blew a hole straight through his stomach. Without directly saying it, Sakura had somehow called him "nothing".

"What?"

Sakura gripped her forearm, trying to stitch together a coherent sentence to explain herself. "You—you made me—made me what I am." She felt her throat clogging up, her eyes stinging with tears. "I hate it." She closed her eyes again, only this time it released her tears.

It didn't make sense. She was upset because of the power she was given? She hadn't expressed much disdain towards it, so it seemed ridiculous she suddenly became hateful.

"How...can you hate it?" he questioned

Sakura laughed morbidly in a combination of fake joy and true anguish. "How can I not?"

"I don't understand, Sakura...I thought you were just joking the first time you said it but..." He felt so very naïve. He bit his lip and averted his gaze to the ground.

Sakura took a deep breath. "I hate the feelings I get, the cravings I get. I hate the way it makes me feel. I hate it. I can't stand it." She glares at him. "And I can't believe you actually thought that I wouldn't mind. That you thought I would enjoy it."

"I...Sakura." He was at a loss of words. "I know that wasn't for me to judge...but I enjoy it...and Naruto...in a way...he enjoyed it too. So, I just thought...everyone else would."

"I'm not you, though, am I?" Sakura stared at her hands, pitiful sobs trailing her breaths. "Look at what I did…I'm no better then either you or Naruto! I-I…I bit her…I made Hinata suffer…and for what!" She gritted her teeth threateningly at him. "I don't care what Kakashi-sensei said! We didn't have to put any more through this! A-and the worst part is…I…I enjoyed doing this to her…I enjoyed making her a monster."

"Sakura, we are not monsters. We're better than that, better than humans. We're stronger...and faster...and..."

"I don't care _what_ we are capable of!" Sakura spat out. "I hate everything you've made me become. I feel...I feel betrayed, disgusted. You don't understand. I just want to be normal again."

Sasuke sighed in despair, pausing for several moments to let her words sink in.

"I want to tell you something." He politely waited for her consent; she never said anything, so he continued. "Naruto…he feels the same way you do…He hates it…he wants it to go away. He's endured it…much longer than any of us have…only he really knows how vile this power is. It took him a long time to discover what a mere bite did to another person. I was an accident, but it changed me into something… incredible, dreadful it may be.

"I was a mistake that probably should not have happened though, for once he uncovered the ability to convert humans into creatures like him, a desire completely different from that of blood and murder started to take him over: a desire to create a family. He picked you and Kakashi as the first victims, and I wasn't sure if you would've been the last…I only played along because…I thought it would only be right to share this.

Sakura sat silently, pondering how to respond so something like that. "Why'd you want to share it with me?"

"I didn't know why then...but...after I did...When I saw you in that form...I..." He had to cut himself off. "Naruto was in desperation...and I couldn't help but honor his wishes."

Sakura glared at him. "So you completely disrespected me in doing so?"

"I suppose...I'm just a monster...I have no sense of respect for the human race..."

Sakura stared directly into his eyes, trying her hardest to figure him out. First he denied them as monsters, and then he called himself a monster…The corners of her lips turned downward. "Can you reverse this?" she asked softly, changing the subject.

"You heard Jiraiya...Once you have been cursed...there is no turning back," he responded. He had never once felt this bad about what he'd done to her, but now…he felt guiltier than ever.

Sakura stared at the ground. "So I'm like this...forever?"

He lowers his head a little. "Maybe, and maybe not, Sakura...if...if you really despise it this much...I..." He couldn't exactly piece what he was trying to say.

Sakura's face lit up. "You what?"

"Once we come home with Naruto...I...I promise...I'll look for a cure for you. A-and...and if I can't find a cure..." He slides in closer in a quick manner, taking her hands in his. "I'll teach you to love it."

Sakura stared at their entwined hands, barely opening her mouth. She took a deep breath and looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed. He released her hands and wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked her hair with the other. "I just wish...you could see it like I do..." he whispers to her gently.

Sakura relaxed into him, checking out every contour in his arm. "Can you tell me how it makes you feel?" she whispered.

He looked down upon her, and then glanced away. "It's hard to explain...but...Every time I've been a beast, I always felt...free, and powerful, carefree. Like...like there's nothing in the world for me to be worried about...or to be afraid of. Everything becomes blissful, and dream like. For the longest time…I haven't been able to come even close to feeling this happy…"

Sakura bore her eyes directly into his, her lips barely moving as she spoke. "Do you have to become a beast to feel that way?"

"No," he answered truthfully, "but...the experience is just...more intense...if I am."

"Sasuke…Why did you want to share that...that feeling with me?"

He breathed out heavily through his nostrils. "I can't tell you."

"Why?" she asked fervently.

"I just can't. There are some things I really can't say."

Sakura sighed and broke herself away from him. "It's getting late," she mumbled. "I should be heading home." As she turned around to walk out the door he reached out to her.

"Sakura, wait."

Sakura paused before deciding to meet his face. "What is it?"

"I told you...I just couldn't say it..." He forcibly pulled her close to him again. "But I...still want you to understand it..."

Sakura furrowed her brow befuddled. A bit of blush flared on her cheeks at the longing glint in his eyes. "I…still don't understand what you're talking about."

He didn't utter a sound as he inched closer to her face. Silently he took a deep breath in through his nose before forcing his lips to lock with hers. Sakura shuddered first with surprise, and then with delight. It most certainly wasn't their first kiss, but perhaps the first true one. She welcomed it blissfully, wrapping her arms around his taught waist to ensure he could not be torn away.

Sasuke was the instigator of her pain and the cushion that broke it. He was the monster haunting her dreams and the protector that chased them away. He was a cold, merciless beast, but there was a heart beneath that dark exterior, a heart for her shelter and warmth.

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End of Chapter

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	15. The Big Book of Werewolves

**Chapter 14**

_December 16__th__ – December 17__th_

The Big Book of Werewolves

The sun was falling upon their final hour…

They were as ready as they were ever going to be. Ahead of them lied dangers and perils none of which they could fully comprehend. There were multiple enemies to face, internal and external, on the unclear path before them. Some were worried for their lives, many were worried for their families, but all were dreadfully concerned for Naruto. Their goal was in sight, and their eyes were locked tightly onto it as if it were prey. Nothing else could force these fierce hunters to act otherwise.

The party of six gathered near the main gates of the Hidden Leaf Village. According to Sasuke, this was the last place Naruto was seen before he evacuated, making it the most logical place for them to begin their mission. It had been a while since the crime here was committed, but a faint musk of blood was still detectable by the majority of them.

"Welcome," Kakashi greeted humbly. "Jiraiya has seen to it that Tsunade is aware that we will be gone for an undetermined amount of time. Of course…he had left out the why. I trust you've all taken care of what you must."

They nodded solemnly. Though this ordeal was to remain a secret, they weren't leaving in total obscurity. Those with families had given their kin notice to their departure, while the teacher made certain he would have a solid substitute to hold the podium during his absence.

"Very well…Time to commence part three of this operation then." He reached around his back and fumbled through the front pouch of his bag. "Naruto has been gone for some time now, so it will be difficult to track him properly, but…I think we can do it...with _this_."

Kakashi, having finally found it, pulled out what at first looked to be a long dark blue ribbon. A metal plate was nailed to the fabric, and in the center of that plate was a Leaf symbol. The item was identified as a standard issue Leaf Village headband; it was a rather worn one too. He dangled it out for them to see it.

"Lucky for us he left his scent," he added while twiddling with the fabric in his fingers. "This is the headband he wore the night he disappeared. He left a jacket and some weapons as well…but I figured this would be the most potent source of his scent."

Kakashi took it up to his face, and as strange as it looked, he inhaled deeply through his nose. The very first thing he could smell was the salty, grimy musk of old sweat. Of course it would reek of it, for it was generally worn during extreme physical activity. The next was a hint of ramen, specifically miso pork, Naruto's favorite dish. He must have somehow splashed the broth onto his headband at some point. It wasn't long until he reached a pure, core scent: the identity scent. Until he could memorize that, he breathed in and out, each time picking out the identity odor.

"Even so," Hinata mentioned, "the scent has to be old…or it could even be washed away by now."

"But unfortunately it is all we have to go off of," Kakashi grumbled while passing the headband off to the next person: Sasuke. Though he already faintly knew Naruto's scent, he took it upon himself to relearn it. The headband was sniffed and then passed down the line of wolves as Kakashi spoke. "Our sense of smell is already enhanced many times from the norm, but in our wolf forms…it is boosted even more. As such, we need to exercise using the wolf form as often as we can."

The headband had reached Shikamaru at this point. Unlike the others, it took him only one whiff of it to memorize the scent. Then he passed it on to Iruka.

Iruka held it in his hands, and as he stared down at it his expression became cold. It only hurt him more to know his student had left it behind, an item that was once so important to him. He could remember the day he had given it to him and how happy it had made him. The boy had worked so hard to earn it and wore it proudly and with enthusiasm. Now it was a forgotten piece of cloth tossed to gather dust.

Once he pulled his senses together, he did what they all had done and smelt it. He sniffed it once, and curiously he narrowed his eyes; somehow, he felt like he knew it already. He tried again, thinking it as a hoax. Each time it was as if something familiar but forgotten was coming back to him. In the back of his mind, Naruto's image flickered. Awestruck, he lowered the headband and pondered the strange effect the scent had on him.

To test the scent he sniffed at the air. It was there; it was all around him. He knew Naruto had been here, and subconsciously could tell how long ago it was and which direction he went. Unbeknownst to him, he was the only one that had picked it up, and he had done it so effortlessly.

Without speaking a word he passed the headband back to Kakashi.

"Now that we've taken care of that," said the leader as he stashed the band away, "our plan for _when_ we find him."

A long silence followed, and all eye contact broke to the floor. Many were still rather uncomfortable with a confrontation, particularly the ones who had experienced it already first hand. Sakura had briefly seen the terrifying creature he had become, and she did not desire to see it again. A vicious red fox with eyes that glowed like angry fire, he had become a monstrous, inhumanly powerful beast that night.

"I will not lie to any of you: I expect Naruto to be aggressive," Kakashi declared. "He exhibited a lot of hostility in our last encounter…"

"He's rather…docile during the day," Sasuke contributed. "The only time he ever showed any aggressive behaviors is at night and days that are close to the full moon. If we can get his location within the next two to three weeks we may be spared…given we can move in on him during the day."

"The priority _should_ be to avoid physical confrontation. If we can bring him home without bloodshed it would be fantastic, but the odds that will happen are very slim, even under the conditions you described, Sasuke…If I had thought that we were not going to have to fight, there would not be an additional three wolves with us."

"So…we'll have to hurt him?" Hinata asked in distress.

"Only _if_ we have to…if he shows signs of being a threat to us, then we'll have no choice."

"Right…"

"We can still avoid it," Sasuke added. "He may have killed people, but it is only his body that is doing the killing."

"Regardless," said Kakashi, "I want you all to be prepared for the worst…but hope for the best."

Though still paying attention, Iruka had been very focused on the scent throughout the conversation. As the darkness fully enveloped them, he became more anxious to shift into the wolf form. He wanted a deeper insight on his student, if only for locating him safely, and to do that he needed the sensitive nose gifted to him through the transformation. In an odd and somewhat creepy way, it excited him to have the smell of a target so near.

Skittishly, he got up and ran to a nearby tree lying outside the gates. The sudden movement had startled the others in the group.

"Iruka…are you alright?" asked Kakashi.

"Just a moment! I'm getting out of my clothes."

At first the leader raised an eyebrow at his answer. Then he directed his attention to the skies. The sun had long since disappeared and the stars and moon were clearly emblazoned in the dark blue quilt of night. Time was everything; they needed to make good use of it. Now was the time for them to begin the quest.

"Very well then. I suppose we should do the same," he said with his order implied. The group disbanded to find their own hiding spots to cover their human nudity before getting into their fur.

Iruka folded his clothes neatly and set them in a pile near his feet. Reaching behind his head, he unfastened the rubber band to let his unruly mat of hair dangle to his shoulders. He took a deep breath as he clasped his hands together in the first sign. Still learning the sequence, he preformed the signs slowly. The chakra in his body reacted in sync, moving and twisting through his body. It had not been triggered yet, but his body temperature and heart-rate had risen, gradually climbing up until he hit the final sign.

He felt a surge of energy strike. Swallowing powerfully, he breathed evenly to keep himself calm. His fingers first popped into a curled position, the growing of claws closely following. Then his feet cracked as they configured as well; they became longer and his heels rose. From his toes, an additional set of black talons stabbed outward. Fangs developed in his mouth as they gnashed against the other teeth for freedom. Every hair on his body stood on end as dark fur swept over his skin, more densely around his neck, chest and back. Warmth returned to him, the hair helping him regain his body heat. He bent over slightly and growled, the popping joints and burning of muscle suddenly becoming more intense. His already moderately toned body was growing larger and more powerful each passing second. His furry tail came out thrashing to and fro, finally relieving him of his balance issues. As his ears grew and moved up his head and his widening nose twitched. Iruka could feel Naruto's scent gradually become stronger as his sense of smell amplified. A final snap sounded off, and his jaws jutted out in tandem. More vicious and primal growls came out of his throat as his face lost human definition, deforming into the second body's muzzle filled with jagged fangs and teeth.

However, he did not howl. Iruka shoved the desire aside and went straight to work immediately after his transformation was done. He picked up his clothes gently with his teeth and trotted out of hiding on all fours towards his bag. It took him a while to get used to the quadruped stance, but it was quicker than walking on hind legs. Once he set the clothing down, he began sniffing frantically at the air and the ground, sorting through the various wafting odors to relocate his student's.

The first one to come out after Iruka was the lighter brown male, Shikamaru. He was followed by Kakashi, his massive physique dwarfing all others. A bellowing howl ripped through the sound barrier before Sasuke returned; howling made him feel spiritually released, so he had no reason to hold the instinct back as his kin had. The female wolves reappeared side-by-side as they spoke quietly amongst themselves.

"You nervous?" Sakura asked the gray wolf.

"Uh…y-yeah…you?" Hinata responded.

"Very."

"Why are you nervous?"

"I have some…things on my mind."

"Like…?"

"Nothing, Hinata…" Sakura trailed off as her gaze met the magnificent black body sitting on his haunches in the distance. His pure yellow eyes stared lustfully at the sky above as his tail swayed gracefully. For this reason she doubted his affection; it seemed he was more in love with the heavens than with her. "He's nothing."

The word "he" came out unintentionally. Hinata stared at her curiously and then traced the direction of her irises over to the Uchiha boy. Her larger then normal ears twitched somewhat.

"Oh…well…do you…like him?" she inquired timidly. Sakura's eyes immediately tore away from him and hit the floor, and she became heated with embarrassment.

"I don't know, maybe…I used to…"

"…until this…right?"

Solemnly she nodded, silently ending the conversation.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was intrigued by Iruka's rather abnormal behaviors. He watched him anxiously trot around the stone lay out, periodically stopping to smell a specific area. Kakashi made a few test sniffs, but they labored nothing but a faint whiff of Naruto that disappeared soon after; he could pick up nothing tangible due to all the extra odors that had wiped Naruto's out clean.

Curiously he prowled up to the brown wolf, whose tail was flicking around edgily. "Just what are you up to, Iruka?"

"Following the scent," he replied, pausing to deeply inhale the air. "I…can feel him so clearly…it's…amazing…"

"That's…odd," Kakashi grumbled, sniffing around more. "I can't seem to find anything."

Iruka's ears perked up as he turned to look Kakashi in the eye. He was as confused as he was. "You can't?"

"I can't smell him either," Shikamaru said while strapping his bag to his back. "I'm trying...I just can't seem to find anything."

Iruka glanced around as the various colored wolves regrouped, this time with him as the center of attention. He swallowed again rather uncomfortable with the stares. "N-none of you?"

They all shook their heads in response.

"I-I…then…How can I?" he questioned, absentmindedly tracing the scent along the ground.

"I couldn't tell you that, Iruka…but…just how well can you smell him?" Kakashi asked.

"It's like he's right here with us, almost. I don't know…how to explain it…"

There was a lengthy pause afterwards. Why could he pick up Naruto's odor while the rest of them could not? It could be because of his strong desire to see Naruto again. Perhaps a maternal instinct triggered a boost in his sense of smell. Possibly he might have been gifted with an especially powerful nose by nature. Whatever it was that made him so adept at catching the scent, it was a relief that at least one of them could.

"You can follow it then," he stated monotonously while trotting up to his sack, stuffing his human clothes in it and slinging it over his shoulder. "For now…we'll have to follow your lead, Iruka. Just until we get close enough for us to use_ our_ noses properly."

Iruka sighed through his nostrils and nodded briskly. There was a sense of accomplishment about him to know that he had value other than serving as an extra gun of wolf muscle. It was a beautiful, almost intoxicating feeling of determination; he was going to be the one to lead them to Naruto with his skill to sniff him out.

After briefly reveling in his feat, he pressed his nose to the ground and breathed in air in quick succession.

His ears perked up again, and his tail started to sway quickly once more. A menacing growl sounded off in the back of his throat as his body began to move along the path, claws clicking against the stone in a haunting rhythm.

"Let us depart now while the night is young, then," Iruka suggested. Once they had reached an agreement on the proposal, the pack of wolves gathered their things and adjusted their bags to be comfortable on their backs.

Closely, they followed behind the lead off wolf, positioned carefully in a distinct triangular formation. Sasuke and Shikamaru filled the second row, pacing themselves off to Iruka's sides. Kakashi held the center position in the last row with the two females to either side of him. This formation had been formed with no discussion or prior arrangement; this was the creation of their instinct.

Once Iruka had led them to the gate, he paused in his stride to let loose the hunter's howl, a lower and smoother version of the beckoned howls sang at the moon. His body sprang into action immediately at the end of it as he dashed down the dirt path. The pack darted after him, a roaring melody of howls ringing as the wolves grew distant to their home village. Never did they look back. To them there was no direction but forward.

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_Day One…_

The pack spent most of their first night on the trail of their target. They had lost count, but it was estimated they only stopped three to four times throughout the whole run. By the time morning came, exhaustion had already reared its ugly end upon them all. Since no one had burdened themselves with bringing a tent, shelter would have to be searched for when they needed it. For today their shelter of choice was beneath a canopy of evergreen trees.

Littered over the expanse of dull grass was the pack curled under blankets to shield them from the moderately cold temperatures. Opposed to cushiony beds beneath the roof of a heated home, the ground was not what they were used to. No one found themselves in a constant state of rest, turning their bodies periodically to search for a more comfortable position. Another rueful factor that prevented any restful sleep was the sun in the sky. It was only their first day out on the prowl, so it was only natural they would need to slowly adjust to this new sleeping pattern.

As they slept the daylight away, one of them remained wide awake as he leaned against a thick and elderly pine. Kakashi took the liberty of forcing himself to be awake out of a nervous notion to protect his squadron. It wasn't as if they were expecting any outside opposition other than Naruto, who, according to Iruka, was still many miles away yet.

The young jonin casually watched his companions sleep, but his lone eye somehow reached his bag as he glanced around frivolously. Pulling it over to him, he fumbled through its main pouch for an object to occupy the time. While he was up, he figured now was as good a time as ever to catch up on his reading. Nothing beat a good book when one must toil in silence. He pulled the book out of after locating it in the unorganized heap of clothes and supplies. This book miraculously did not include Icha Icha in its title, neither was it a pornographic novel on any level. He had chosen to bring a more informative piece to study on their down time: Jiraiya's Big Book of Werewolves.

The little black tome in his hand looked so much larger when not being held in gigantic anthropomorphic paws. It was sometimes unnerving to continue switching between his forms when the objects around him shrank and grew accordingly. Shrugging it off to the notion that he would eventually get used to it, he shifted his body to be seated more comfortable and opened the book to the first tabbed page.

"The History of Werewolves," he read the chapter's title aloud. He then proceeded to reading the text.

_Countless myths have been spread throughout the ages about werewolves, and to this day it is not clear as to where they came from or how they came to be. There are multiple theories on the concept of their creation, from chakra experimentation to devil contracting. Perhaps the truth to these most mind challenging questions will never be revealed. However, the werewolves themselves claim to know the truth of their roots through a tale passed down from generation to generation. _

_Several centuries ago, a small civilization prospered on the Crescent Island just south east of present day Fire Country. Migration to the island in search of happiness and wealth, and the Crescent provided all and more than what they needed. The climate was warm year round, the bay housed plentiful fish, and the land was suitable for various agriculture practices. There were various types of birds and land animals to hunt as well. This island was what would come to be known as The Land of the Moon, and it was also where lycanthropy first took root in the human soul._

_The Crescent Island has always been governed under a king who was born into the position, rather than being selected by his ability. No leader was ever the same as the last, but most of them were very kind to their followers. There came a time, though, when a corrupt king took the throne. Tora Abarachi died due to an unidentified virus that suddenly plagued him, leaving his son Keo to assume the duties of king. Keo was still young yet, a mere seventeen years old, but the people had faith in his lineage and believed he would be capable of leading._

_Deadly wrong were the dwellers of the Crescent. Keo Abarachi was a spoiled and uneducated brat whose leadership caused many honest and hard working citizens pain and turmoil. The entire city's wealth went towards the king's happiness first, and whatever was left over, if anything, was scrounged for city matters. No one dared revolt against him, even though the majority of the citizens loathed him; the army men were still very loyal to him. If something did not go his way, Keo often sent soldiers out to do his dirty work. Many long years of putting up with this behavior forced people to turn to desperate, often ill-fated attempts of assassination. The death sentences grew more frequent as well due to Keo's paranoia, and the situation was showing no signs of stabilizing. _

_The Crescent Island was on the path of total collapse, until one day, a wandering cloaked traveler came to their sandy shores upon a small crudely built boat. This traveler never gave his name, but he made claim that he was sent to stop the madness upon the island, and that he could single handedly realign the king rather than killing him. The man was drowned with praise and gifts, hope slowly being restored by his outrageous promise. The villagers took special care into not letting the king know about the mysterious arrival._

_Nothing significant had happened to Keo until the night of the full moon. That night while the king was sleeping, the stranger entered his castle and snuck into the king's chambers. Keo was awakened by the man, and he threatened to have him slaughtered for trespassing, only to find out they were locked in and his body guards were locked out. The king believed he was going to be killed._

_Pleading for his life, he offered the stranger anything he desired. The man scoffed at his attempt to buy his way out of trouble. Keo's arm was grabbed in an iron grip, and the bony hand that withheld him glowed in an ominous red. The king, degraded to shivering in fear like a child, stared in horror as the red energy entered him through his skin. As the man used his magic on him, he spoke these words:_

"_Insolent wretch. You revel in your wealth and vanity as if you deserve these luxuries of life. No, you are not worthy of being king of anything. You value no human life but your own…now you shall have no human life to behold. Upon this night, and every night like it, the full moon will illuminate upon your true body. For all eternity until your death, the damnable curse will be passed to all who suffer a bite and offspring you may bear will be haunted the same."_

_That night, the king had been given the curse that would be come to known as lycanthropy. His body was painfully morphed into a monstrous beast that was half man and half wolf, the werewolf, and he would be doomed to continue this trend every full moon._

"Hm…If I didn't know any better," Kakashi said aloud to himself. "The story sounds much like what has happened to Naruto."

"What story?" asked a voice to his right side. Calmly he lifted his head to meet eyes with the addresser. Shikamaru stood over his crouched down form, the signs of fatigue lacing the whites of his eyes.

"This one here in the book Jiraiya gave us," he politely answered. "It is rather interesting. It's about how the first werewolf came around."

"Hm…Mind if I take a look?" Shikamaru requested as he took a seat near by.

"Of course." With his thumb keeping the first page of it marked, he passed the book on to Shikamaru. He watched his eyes twitch from side to side as he scanned the text rather quickly.

"By the way…Why aren't you resting, Shikamaru?"

"Who can sleep on the ground in winter? It's hard as rocks," he replied as he turned the page. "I like sleeping, but under a roof and in a bed, not under trees in the cold."

Kakashi chuckled warmly at his comment. When Shikamaru was at last finished reading, the book was returned to him.

"It's not exactly like what's happened to Naruto," the genius boy commented, "but yeah. I definitely see resemblance from the little I know. Did Naruto really do something bad before?"

"I…wouldn't be able to tell you. Considering how Jiraiya diagnosed him, I would say no."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right…What's the plan for tonight then? Same as last night?" he asked while rubbing his right arm tenderly. "Last night's run beat me up pretty good."

"Well…maybe not a straight go like last night…We do have to take care of ourselves."

Shikamaru grimaced when he heard his own stomach growl a little. "Don't think I could do a run like that again…I'm starving."

"That will be our first priority then. I'm sure we all could use a good meal to get us going," Kakashi drawled as he resumed reading where he had left off.

It continued on to tell about how the man in the story took his anger out on the villagers, killing most and transforming the rest into lycanthropes within a few months. The wolves reigned supreme on the island for several decades until the resources depleted and they were forced to head for the mainland where they primarily settled in Stone Country. Kakashi snapped the book shut and stashed it away in his backpack at the end of the chapter

"What are we going to do about food anyways?" Shikamaru queried while staring him down intently. Kakashi laughed mildly as the contour of a smile appeared on his mask.

"We do what all wolves do – We hunt."

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End of Chapter

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	16. What Dangers Lie Ahead

**Chapter 15**

_December 15__th__ – January 1st_

What Dangers Lie Ahead

Near the rocky bank of a stream, a family of deer stood peacefully while nibbling at the grass. The tiny herd consisted of a doe, two fawns and a rather large buck. As his mate and children fed, the male deer diligently kept watch for any sign of danger while occasionally kneeling to eat. He had to ration the majority of it for the young deer; food was dreadfully scarce when the temperatures dropped. This patch of grass happened to be the first edible thing in miles, and it was conveniently located next to water.

This precious scene of nature was soon disturbed by a startling snap. First the buck's head went up, its sharply pronged antlers framing the pale, foreboding moon above. Its ears had perked up and its eyes went wide as it stared frozen at the bushes. Now that it was alert, it could distinctly hear panting. The doe and its young stopped feeding to watch the darkness beyond the shrubs. For the longest time it was nothing but a stare off between the family of deer and the unknown.

Once the buck took off in a gallop down the river bank, his family followed him.

A loud growl sounded off as a dark figure erupted from the bushes and began the pursuit on his eyed prey. His breathing was loud and choppy as he channeled every bit of energy he could muster into his powerful muscles. They were already aching and tired, but he was determined to catch this valuable meal.

To the side of him there were several shadows rustling through the woods, barks and growls sharply tearing at the night air. His comrades had followed his lead in the chase, and the black wolf grinned. Sasuke just knew in his mind that this time would be a success. He had lost count, but they had chased after this deer nearly half a dozen times.

The deer family had scattered, mother and fawns in one direction and the buck to another. He shifted direction to only follow the larger, more powerful deer. While that seemed trivial due to their lack of energy, once it was caught it would sustain them all for several days. Thrilled by the challenge and motivated by the reward, the black wolf howled while picking up his pace.

The other wolves close behind responded with their own cries. Excitedly he watched as the buck grew closer and closer. Agilely he dodged the obstacles in his path, swerving away from trees and jumping logs and rocks. Once it was barely close enough for him to attack it he barked and snapped his teeth at its tail, narrowly missing.

Sasuke jeered off to the side to get closer to the buck, at last putting him in a good position to take the animal down. He grinned as he waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. The adrenaline rush he was experiencing was unlike any other, more intense then the runner's high, more intense then falling prey to a full moon. Now at last he was a hunter; he was as nature intended it so. This deer would be the first of many great catches.

However, right as he was ready to seize the deer, his opportunity was smashed when his paw got caught on a root in his way. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. His body was in such a state of shock that he did not try to get back up. Sasuke could only watch his companions speed by, preparing themselves to take the game _he_ was supposed to kill.

First he witnessed Shikamaru leap out of the darkness and crash his body into the side of the deer. Sasuke's ears twitched at the ear grating bleat the buck let out. Vicious sounding growls came out of Shikamaru's mouth as he made use of his teeth and claws, digging them into the animal's neck. The prey kicked wildly to escape.

Hinata was the second to reappear. It was frightening to gaze upon her in this state of primal instinct. Her snarls were somewhat higher pitched then the brown wolf's, yet they were twice as terrifying. She completely divulged herself into the attack and bit into the deer's meaty back. Thought it might not have taken more then those two to eliminate it, the duo of Sakura and Iruka included themselves into the fray. Sakura grabbed onto its back leg and thrashed her head to tear the flesh. Iruka had to make do with the little room left to attack it and bit another area of the back.

The poor animal was bleeding profusely, its once beautiful, thin fur spoiled with its own life force. One deer, no matter how big, would never be able to out do a pack of wolves, let alone wolves this large. With its windpipe cut off by the first attacker, the buck quietly passed away from suffocation and blood loss.

By the time it was dead, Kakashi had just shown up to the scene. There was panting all around, even after they released their catch. The ground below the fallen deer was covered with its blood, and regardless of the gore ridden corpse laying sprawled out, he was quite pleased. Kakashi had begun to think they were not capable of capturing a full-grown deer after the several failed attempts.

With a snide expression on his face, Shikamaru took the back of his paw and wiped the excess blood off his face.

"Jeeze…that was harder then it needed to be," he remarked.

"At least we caught it," Iruka said back to him, still rather out of breath. "If we hadn't…well, we probably would be in some trouble."

"Exactly…and _who's_ intelligent idea was it for us rely on hunting?" Shikamaru growled while eying the pack leader at Sasuke's side. "And just where were you while we were chasing this thing?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "I paced myself behind everyone."

"Right…"

"So…uhm…" Hinata spoke up timidly, having lost the bestiality once the action had subsided. "We caught the deer, so what do we do with it?"

"…Leave it here to rot," Shikamaru responded sarcastically. "I worked my ass off to get it, I'm eating it."

"But is there enough for all of us?" Sakura asked.

"Sure. One deer can feed a family of four for weeks when rationed right. Now _this_ deer," he said, confidently looking down on the catch. "It'll feed all of us…for at least a week and a half."

"So we're going to drag a two hundred pound deer with us all week?"

"Well, no…not the whole thing, just the parts we can eat."

The brown wolf kneeled down to the side of their prey. He propped the deer's limp body so that its wounds were not in contact with the ground. Thoughtfully he rubbed his lower jaw, his tail swiping the grass and dirt. While still working on the animal, he held a paw out behind him.

"I'm _definitely_ not eating it raw, though," Shikamaru declared. "Anyone got a knife?"

"What would you need a knife for?" asked Sakura, raising a brow at the claws on his hands.

"I'm gonna clean it. I said it would last us a week, but that's only if the meat is cooked. It'll spoil quicker if we don't," Shikamaru explained with a hard stare.

Fondly, Kakashi smiled while turning away with his tail held high. The pack did not require his assistance in this matter. "Very well, then we need to return to the camp site. It will probably be best if we clean it there."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, scooping the large deer up and hoisting it over his shoulder. The massive animal did not outsize Shikamaru, even though he was arguably one of the smallest wolves. He did not particularly mind the blood it shed onto his fur, but the moist feeling was somewhat discomforting. Silently the other three followed him as he dragged the corpse with little difficulty. Kakashi led them off as they slowly trotted back to camp.

But Sasuke had not returned to his feet since he failed to capture the prey. A small scowl was painted on his muzzle as he intently watched Shikamaru, constantly reliving the moment his chance to succeed in the hunt was seized by the rookie; his creation had outdone him in a skill he believed he was gifted with naturally. Perhaps it was bad luck that he tripped the moment he was going to strike.

As he rested his muzzle on the ground, he growled and closed his eyes. Now he had been left behind by his pack, alone to suffer in self-pity. However, there was one wolf left in the direct area, staring bleakly at the black beast. She gingerly pawed over to him with a hint of grief in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly. Immediately his eyelids flipped open, and his golden amber eyes stabbed her in the heart. After getting a good look at her, though, his eyes noticeably softened and his own pain glimmered through his irises. Sakura made her best attempt to comfort him by rubbing her muzzle on his.

"You'll get it next time," she whispered soothingly

Sasuke sighed with a groan traced in his heavy breath. With her encouragement he at last stood up on all fours. His ears and tail appeared a bit perkier then before, and in turn Sakura became happier as well. Side by side the two of them walked through the forest to catch up with their fellow pack mates. The black wolf nuzzled the top of her head and entwined her tail with his as a subtle expression of affection. A small smile formed on Sakura's muzzle.

"Shikamaru just got lucky…" he muttered into her ear, causing her to giggle.

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_Day 9_

It had been over a week since the pack began their search for the missing Naruto. For the most part their schedule had been unchanged, and to some it was like walking through a rut. They slept during the day, the concept of which becoming easier with time and consistency. At night they would pack their things and follow Iruka as he continued to trace the scent. Occasionally they stopped to rest and eat, but their scarce time was heavily emphasized by their leader.

To their misfortune, there would be no moon in the sky tonight. There was only one night like this every month, the night of the new moon, and it greatly impacted the werewolves. With no moonlight, there was no chance for them to transform and move forward. A peculiar feeling of emptiness overcame them as if all of their energy had disappeared. Even their abilities outside of the wolf form were rather diminished. Their high levels of smell and hearing were weakened to near human level. It was a strange, uncomfortable sensation for all of them, including those relatively new to were-chakra.

Currently they were located at the northernmost border of the Land of Fire. Just a little over two miles away from their current location was the Land of Rice. Why Naruto would meander into such a dangerous and desolate country was beyond their comprehension; they were still unaware if he knew where he was going, but the fact that they had been traveling directly north this whole time left them to believe his destination was planned.

Since they were to stay put for the night, Shikamaru suggested they restock on food and supplies before tomorrow. Their food supply was for the most part depleted, so he and Iruka hiked out to a nearby town with what little money they had in tow. Kakashi only agreed to purchase food because the night they spent hunting had given them little to no time to follow the trail. He was particularly worried about letting Naruto's tracks go cold.

In the meantime he and the others were relaxing next to the shallow brook they had been traveling up. Currently, the pack leader was whittling the time away with more reading out of Jiraiya's book. Whenever he found the chance to, he would pull it out to continue studying the text. Thus far he had covered most of the chapters Jiraiya had suggested he read.

He spent an alarming amount of time re-reading that first chapter, _The_ _History of Werewolves_. The ominous connection it had with their current situation was disturbing, and no matter how many times he read it, the foreboding feeling that it all may repeat itself stuck onto his mind. _The Nature of Were-Chakra _was mostly all about what the old man had told them when he discovered their condition nary a few weeks ago. Nothing new to him was found in this chapter. _Werewolf Behavior _had delved into how were-chakra manipulates the brain to think and act like a wolf when it is active, and how it affects their actions outside of the wolf form; unimportant to their situation but interesting.

Tonight he chose to proceed to another chapter, a chapter he had somewhat feared since he first laid eyes on the book. He knew it was an important chapter to read, though. If there were specific illnesses that they were prone to, then he had no reason to ignore that crucial fact.

He turned the page to the last tab Jiraiya had placed for him. "Diseases and Mental Illnesses" was printed boldly at the top.

_Unfortunately, these wonderful creatures of the unknown are highly prone to a series of diseases exclusive to their kind. Most of these ailments are not fatal; primarily these diseases attack the brain in which they are afflicted with abnormal or highly ferocious behaviors they otherwise would not have. Werewolf fatality has roots in the mental diseases, though, for the most common cause of death for a werewolf is suicide. Statistically, all werewolves will at some time in their life be affected by one or more of them._

_In general, werewolves are very physically healthy. After about six to seven months of carrying were-chakra, their immune system will bulk up and start to effortlessly shun common viruses a human would otherwise easily catch. The range of physical disease that the werewolf repels stretches from the common cold to rabies._

_There are a few human diseases that werewolves are particularly prone to. Insomnia is but one of them. Since it is human nature to sleep during the night, getting to sleep during the day proves very difficult, but the fuller the moon, the harder it becomes to get restful sleep at night. Depression is also very common in a werewolf, and if a werewolf does not suffer any other mental disease, this is likely the one that they suffer from._

_Werewolves are more likely to develop a mental disease if they are solitary. A werewolf not enlisted in a pack is called a Lone Wolf. Isolation is not a healthy thing for a human, but it is even more harmful to a werewolf. All werewolves have a pack instinct, and if they cannot act upon it, it becomes very mentally damaging. This is called Solitary Deterioration. It is the gradual breaking down of the Lone Wolf's mindset. This process varies from wolf to wolf, and though there are several ways they react to it, there are five general ways that they will respond._

_O Physical Deprivation: Not providing themselves with basic needs such as food and water._

_O Passive-Aggressive Syndrome: Appear timid, but if approached wrongly they will retaliate ferociously._

_O Destruction Inclination: Unprovoked attacking of inanimate objects, homes, crops, and livestock._

_O Self-Harm Inclination: Hurting oneself with weaponry, knives, or their own claws._

_O Blood Thirst: Unprovoked attacking of people._

_This is actually a very mild mental disease, though. The cure for it is very simple as well. Anyone who has been suffering from Solitary Deprivation only needs loving attention from the people around them, werewolf or not. However, three out of the five main symptoms are shared with another mental disease, and one is shared by all of them. Physical Deprivation and Self-Harm Inclination are the only exclusives._

_Sleep walking is for the most part a harmless disease in which a person will become active while they are in a deep slumber. Werewolves are a different story when it comes to this variation of sleep walking. It has been dubbed Sleep Shifting._

_A Sleep Shifter is defined as a werewolf who transforms while sleeping at night. Going through the change at night is very dangerous for the werewolf and the people around them. When a werewolf falls asleep, the part of the mind designed for thinking and rationalizing shuts down. This part of the brain is also the key to having control in the wolf form, for if it is not active, the were-chakra can fully consume them and transform them into what is called True Form. In True Form, the werewolf acts completely on instinct. Sleep Shifters will exhibit extreme blood thirst when in True Form. _

_The cause for Sleep Shifting varies. It can occur on the night of a full moon if one fell asleep before nightfall, or it can happen if they go to bed on an empty stomach. Emotional problems can possibly lead to a sleep shift as well. Anything that causes were-chakra to react will potentially trigger the transformation while they are at rest._

_There is no real cure for Sleep Shifting because it usually happens only once every few months. If the shifting continues for several days, there is a conventional seal that can be placed on the body to help prevent it._

_The final true disease is not best described as a disease. It is better seen as part of the werewolf's life cycle, for every werewolf will at least begin to go through this process at some point in their lives._

_Were-chakra is a pure mixture of human and demonic chakra. Demonic chakra is very corrosive within a human body, and this is no exception for werewolves. From the first transformation, the demonic chakra will gradually dissolve the human chakra, thus growing larger and more dominant as time goes by. How quickly this happens is dependent on how often the werewolf triggers a transformation. It can also be accelerated by any of the above diseases._

_In the beginning, were-chakra is usually more human than demon. However, once the balance tips in the demonic chakra's favor, it becomes harder for the human mind to suppress certain thoughts and behaviors were-chakra will plant in their heads. When this takes place, the werewolf can officially be classified as Feral._

_Caught in the first stage—called the Superficial Stage—this can be treated with an easy to use jutsu called Hitokami Seal. It is a permanent seal that can be placed anywhere on the body, and its job is to maintain the two extremities of chakra at a steady level and suppress the instinctual thoughts. Though some argue this seal should be administered immediately after becoming a werewolf, it is best to let the chakra become balanced before doing so._

_Not everyone is fortunate enough to discover they have become Feral before it becomes a problem, for in the Superficial Stage it is difficult to distinguish that they are acting upon instinct and not their own thoughts. Several never realize it until they have reached the Extreme Stage, where they begin to commit dangerous and violent acts against their will. By this stage they forget or have a hard time remembering everything they did the previous night._

_Treatment for the Extreme Stage is somewhat more demanding, but it can be done. Hitokami does not have the strength to keep a grip on larger amounts of demonic chakra. To deal with the second stage of becoming Feral, another seal was invented called Chikonki Seal. This jutsu requires several people to perform it, and at least one of them needs to carry were-chakra. Basically it is an advanced version of Hitokami with the exact same functions, but the significant difference is that Chikonki is temporary. In order for this seal to be efficient it must be re-done within eighteen month intervals._

_If this process goes untreated, though, the consequences for the werewolf are very dire. In its final stage, the Complete Stage, treatment can no longer be sought. At the very end of it, the demonic chakra will have eaten through all of the human chakra, thus permanently ending their reign as human beings. In essence, they'll have become full demon and behave as such, but they still have the ability to switch between a human and wolf form. Werewolves who reach this stage are rather malevolent and murderous. They cannot be maintained by humans, werewolves, or even themselves. For the sake of those around him, the werewolf in the Complete Stage must be ki—_

Kakashi snapped the book shut before finishing the sentence. His stomach lurched violently as he became short of breath. He knew he should not have read it. From the moment he first laid eyes on that title, it spoke of nothing but grave and dreadful things. Setting the book down beside him, he bit his lip as that last word tormented him. An unbearable emotional ache began to rise in his chest, rising higher and higher the more that word ran through his head.

"…_killed_…"

He shook his head and clenched his eyes shut. He absolutely would not accept it; he would deny it with all his mortal power.

Of course, he—no they—had every right to know what would become of them and what might possibly have become of Naruto. Eventually he would have been required to read it, or he would have learned through Jiraiya. Kakashi was now scared out of his wits, though. He shivered a little at the thoughts. What if everything he had been working for these last few weeks, what if it meant nothing? What if forcing the curse upon others would have been in vain? What if they did not find Naruto in time, and what if it was already too late?

Kakashi had too much to blame himself for as it was. He did not need yet another death to occur on his behalf.

In distress he turned his gaze to the skies. Where the moon should be was nothing but a sheet of black. No illumination, no transformation, which meant it would be unwise to proceed in their search. Angrily he growled to himself, for their precious time was now twice so.

"Damn new moon…" he muttered with a glare. Sasuke, leaning on a tree across from Kakashi, opened a single eye lazily.

"Miss being a wolf already?" the boy asked smugly, silently adding, "I sure do."

Kakashi rubbed his eye and moaned a bit in distress. "No, that's not it, Sasuke…Well, yes it is, but…"

"But?" Sasuke edged him on, causing the leader to sigh and slump onto his tree.

"I'm still…worried. I'm worried…that we can't help—him," he explained, avoiding usage of his name.

Somewhat bored of this speech, Sasuke sighed and rested his cheek on a fist. He had heard it several times, not just from Kakashi. Sakura has said it before, and Iruka has too. What he didn't understand is why they lacked confidence in themselves and what they were doing. Without it, they might as well call this a lost cause.

"_I really have been left Naruto's job as motivational speaker, haven't I?" _he asked himself before looking back up at his sensei.

"Kakashi, he's going to be fine," Sasuke stated sternly. Their interaction had caught the attention of the female duo, who only watched out of curiosity. "I know you think it's your fault, and you're obligated to make it right…but it wasn't just you who set him over the edge."

"…He wasn't angry until I said it," Kakashi mumbled, reminiscing upon the last day he laid eyes on him. Sasuke sat up a little straighter when his argument was crushed. The boy opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by Kakashi once more. "—and before that. I'm the one who told you to follow him! It's my fault that you were hurt!"

"Yeah, but…"

"It's my fault that any of us have to go through this!" he shouted, pointing fervently to his chest. Sasuke's mouth was forever sealed by this outburst, who in turn glanced down and away from Kakashi's dark gaze. Both Sakura and Hinata stared somewhat fearfully, the angered roar still grating at their ears.

"I was just…trying to help him…but all I did was cause more trouble," he said more calmly.

"Do you think you should have done something else, maybe?" Hinata spoke up. Kakashi turned his attention back to the stars as he dwelled on the thought. If it weren't for that ridiculous Jonin meeting, he could have gone in Sasuke's stead. Perhaps he could have properly fought the Nine-Tailed beast, saved them all from the wretched mentality of being half a beast.

"I don't know…I'd have to say no, though."

"Then, like Sasuke was trying to say to you…don't worry so much," she said with a small smile. "I'm sure we'll find Naruto-kun soon, and we can bring him home safely."

Cleverly she steered away from the real problem and transformed it into a positive thought. Hinata's words were encouraging, but she was unaware of the truth that Kakashi now knew. If only they too were aware of the possibilities, maybe they would give him the right to feel guilty. Regardless that he was still anxious, he exhaled the last bits of fury and smiled kindly back.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized once he turned back to Sasuke. Kakashi placed his hand on top of the black book at his side and quickly glanced at it. Without a second thought he tossed it to him. "…however…It'd be in your best interest to take a look at the chapter I just read, _Diseases and Mental Illnesses_."

The Uchiha raised a brow, skeptical about the request. Putting his questions aside, he flipped through to pages to the chapter Kakashi instructed. Several minutes of watching his dark eyes move up and down the pages left them in anticipation. Particularly Kakashi was curious as to how he would react to the text, considering the chapter was rather anti-werewolf.

Sasuke's eyes went wide at one point; the leader's stomach lurched painfully as he assumed the boy had reached the most astonishing part. Silently he placed the book down at his feet, still open to the last page of that chapter, and he slumped his face into his palm. He roughly rubbed his temples in attempt to think it over.

"I see," he stated plainly. "It's…quite obvious what is wrong, Kakashi…so, I understand why you…heck, now even I am a little worried."

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Sakura asked nervously.

"He spent a year on his own as a were, so from the beginning he had to have been suffering from Solitary Deterioration and a lot of depression," he said mainly to Kakashi, providing his analysis on Naruto's condition. "It can only be just recently that he started to become Feral."

"Feral?" she mumbled inquisitively. In response he merely threw the book their way so they too could understand what he was talking about. Finally they were all on the same page (literally) once the girls had both gotten a good look at the chapter.

"Oh, Naruto-kun…" Hinata cooed quietly. "Sasuke…do you have any idea…how far along he could be?"

"Late first stage, early…maybe mid second stage," he responded with uncertainty. "It's just based on what I've seen, and I haven't seen much."

"You see…We can't let ourselves have another day-long break like this," Kakashi said with his arms crossed. "He's in danger…_We're_ in danger."

"…We really won't kill him…will we?" Hinata questioned, futilely trying to hide her distress.

The pack leader swallowed a lump in his throat and averted his gaze. This only made Hinata feel worse.

"I don't know, Hinata," Kakashi mumbled with his eyes gently close. "I really don't know."

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_Day 17_

After the single night of being crippled by the new moon, Kakashi had begun to drive this pack of wolves to the limit. Once they crossed over to the Land of Rice, every drop of energy that they could speak of was used to run, and run, and then run some more. Breaks were scarcely offered, but since they were mostly human, eating, drinking, and resting were still necessities of life. However, the nights were at the longest they would be this year, and they were prepared to take full advantage of that regardless of the tough conditions they had to work in.

Currently they were pacing themselves down a dirt path that Iruka had his nose pressed to. To both sides of this path were thickets of tall, mossy trees. The interior of these forests were gloomy and foreboding, very unlike the forests they encountered in their home country where the vegetation was more sparse and pleasant to navigate through.

As far as they have ventured, the others were continuing to have problems tracking the scent themselves; in all honestly none of them have really tried to since Iruka was so proficient at this skill. In their usual triangle formation they watched him and their surroundings carefully to be sure they did not miss a thing.

This routine, however, was becoming increasingly tiring for them. Hinata's present condition was arguably one of the worst. As they strode along the path, she was panting rather loudly. Her neck was slouched and her tail and ears drooped. The fatigued appearance meant nothing, though, for her drive to locate her childhood crush dominated all the exhaustion and pain. From the beginning, and even more so recently, she had demonstrated a burning desire to find him. It was fair to say her fire burned larger and brighter then the others, even when she was so dreadfully tired. The funniest thing about her drive did not lie within the emotion itself, but how comfortable she was with expressing it now.

Being this way, being a werewolf, did more to help her then to hurt. The feeling of being accepted into this pack was surreal indeed, and in turn it had fledged a sense of confidence and security within her. Her renewed relationship with Sakura, and even developing relationships with the four males, had impacted her both physically and emotionally. The hardest thing for her was the fact that she only felt so self-assured when in her wolf form, and it was not only her who felt this way, either. Most of them had been diligently resistant to the idea of truly being a werewolf at first, but after over two weeks of constantly transitioning between their human and beast forms, they were actually growing fond of it.

Just the transformation itself, from human to wolf or vice versa, was a beautiful, enlightening experience. Changing into a beast at their will was an undying expression of resilience and freedom. After doing it several times it was no longer painful, achy and traumatizing to transform. It had grown into a calm and relaxing process, allowing them to gracefully slip into their fur and barely feel a thing.

Sakura knew she had talked down upon werewolves; she had done little but called them monsters and treated them so. Much like Hinata, though, she had grown so accustomed to the wonderful feeling of belonging, the feeling of being loved, and the feeling of pure, untamed freedom. The transformation to her was like sprouting a pair of wings and soaring into a world no human could dream of reaching, and she had wonderful people with whom she could share this world with.

This was the truth that dawned upon them from this experience: being a werewolf was not to be resented, but celebrated. Now that they had learned this lesson, it was nary time to teach it to an unfortunate soul who had only seen the dark side of it.

Suddenly Iruka stopped in his tracks and the frenzy of sniffing ceased. His ears and tails both stood tall and he remained deathly still. The others paused as well, staring intently at Iruka to observe his body language. Unable to take the seemingly long wait, one of them spoke up.

"What is it, Iruka?" Kakashi asked, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. The wolf he addressed raised his neck and stared wide-eyed over his shoulder.

"Kakashi…He's…" Iruka started to say, but he shoved his face back onto the floor and sniffed more. His tail wagged happily and a large smile plastered itself on his muzzle. Barely containing his excitement, he faced his pack mates.

"I've got him," he stated monotonously.

"What…? You mean you didn't have him before?" Shikamaru questioned somewhat irate.

"No, no, no of course not!" Iruka replied defensively. "This trail I've been tracking, it's really cold, you see. What I've been following recently has to be a week old, two weeks tops. But here—_right_ here!" He stamped his paw on the dirt where the scent was. "—there's a _brand new_ scent on top. He crossed over his path here not too long ago!"

Everyone turned their attention to the spot Iruka spoke of. Curiously Hinata stepped forward and sniffed the ground around his paw. That mysterious smell of her beloved wafted into her nostrils, and even though it had been weeks since she learned the scent, it was still firmly locked in her mind. Recognizing it indefinitely, her once tired expression brightened with energy.

"He's right," she murmured, her tail also swaying enthusiastically. "I can smell him now, too."

Iruka took to the new trail with a spring in his step, this new finding renewing his sense of hope. The others took this as a sign to follow, jumping into a sprint to keep pace with the tracker, who howled loudly and proudly. Several howls of different pitches and textures responded to it.

However, their leader was left in the dust, skeptical of this sudden change in the path.

"…_I don't…understand. Why would he have come back here if he was trying to run away?_" he wondered, walking down the new path. "_Let alone…why go in there?_"

When it dawned on him that his teammates were nearly out of site, he picked up speed and effortlessly rejoined the group. He made his way to the front of the group so he was running next to Iruka.

"Iruka, just how old is this scent?" Kakashi asked.

"Maybe three hours? One hour?" the brown wolf answered in between breaths. "No…it's even less. He's close. I can feel it."

The silver wolf nodded his head once, turning his attention forward.

They weaved and struggled through the mossy, leafless trees that cluttered the forest floor, the crowdedness causing them minor difficulties in passing through. If ever there was an excellent place to hide, this forest was the ultimate of them all. The half moon and countless stars above were unable to illuminate much; regardless that the canopies were virtually bare, the numerous branches shaded everything well.

Sight was not the necessity here, though. As long as Iruka's powerful nose was running strong, there was no darkness they could not penetrate.

As if a horrible omen of irony had fallen upon them, the dark brown wolf slowed to a stop. The area was more open then the rest of the forest had been, and the ground was bathed in patches of soft moonlight. The minimal lighting rolled off of Iruka's back as he slowly pawed around, taking quick whiffs of the earth. He seemed to be moving in circles almost.

"I don't get it," he muttered aloud, going back to the center where Naruto's scent first cut off. "It just stops right here."

"You're kidding me," said Kakashi in shock. "You're absolutely sure?"

He continued to try to find another path that matched the previous one, but all attempts failed. Iruka whimpered sadly, wondering if he had mistaken this scent for something else. Even if he had, there still should be someone there. The middle of this small clearing was the absolute end of the trail and he knew that there was no possible way for the scent to be any stronger.

While contemplating the situation, the others began to pitch in by trying to sniff out the solution. He himself could not believe that this was the end of the line. Absentmindedly, Iruka tilted his head up to search the skies for the answer. An ineffective sentiment, but it made him feel calm to look at the moon above.

His yellow eyes widened. The brown wolf was frozen, his heart stricken by a dreadful sensation of terror; his blood suddenly ran cold and his windpipe tightened. Iruka's jagged toothed mouth hung open slightly. It wasn't long before his pack mates noticed that he was staring gawkily at something. They all joined in, each of them feeling equally afraid of the sight.

Above them in a tree laid a dark silhouette. Over the ledge of the branch on which it perched were several moving shadows that appeared like large snakes dangling from the tree. contour of the body from head to sharply clawed toe was plainly visible.

And from the roost high above them, two glowing red eyes stared down.

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End of Chapter

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	17. Apocalyptic

So, I have some explaining to do. Again I took well over a couple of months to dish out this chapter, but even though I have exhausted all excuses I honestly was absolutely unable to touch this chapter for several weeks. About two or so weeks after the previous chapter was released I had to deal with a very abrupt move. My mother and I were staying at my grandparent's house for three weeks where the most modern piece of technology was the DTV transition boxes for their antennae TVs. Now for the next four to six months I'll be staying in an apartment, which is nice because it has a pool, exercise equipment, allows pets, and I can access my computer, but I won't have internet until we move into a new house.

Unless I get to a person's house who has internet, then this will possibly be the last chapter you see for a while. Just remember…my favorite readers are the ones that endure the waiting.

Ahem. Anyways, I believe I'm obligated to warn you that this chapter is arguably the most explicitly gory then any in the past. Mostly this is because I've been very angry lately, and you will see every bit of that rage reflected onto Naruto's persona. If you puke, my job is done (I'm probably exaggerating anyways. I didn't do anything too heavy I think…). If you don't, but you still enjoyed the chapter, I'll take that as well.

Without further adieu, please give a hearty welcome back to Naruto Uzumaki…

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**Chapter 16**

_January 1st_

Apocalyptic

The satin shadow of the creature above loomed its way down to the ground like a ghostly apparition. His landing was smooth, all four paws firmly planted on the forest floor. Each tail lashed behind him in a chaotic fury as his blood red eyes penetrated the darkness with poise. He snarled viciously, startling his audience.

Slowly the figure walked forward, each step he took sending shockwaves through the others' nerves. They all remained perfectly still regardless of the underlying terror. It was not fear in the sense that they were truly afraid of him. None of them expected to locate him tonight; it was merely the surprise value that had left them frightened.

Gradually he made his way into the faint moonlight. His facial expression was contrary to the emotion portrayed through the tails and the growls; he appeared ominously calm, no showing of teeth whatsoever. Barely a shed of anger traced his eyes.

Naruto presented himself boldly, his head held high and his stare unfaltering. The moonlight practically danced off of his glorious, silken fur. Every sway of his mighty tails was a work of pure art. Not a single flaw was left in his second form's physical design, from the soft curve of his ears to the points of his claws. The strength he possessed was not left to the imagination either, the rigid contours of muscle rather intimidating.

Memories of gazing upon this perfection of a beast rushed back to the few who had been humbled to view it before, but those who had yet see him in this state were in awe. He was stunningly beautiful, yet veritably deadly. Such a combination was a powerful weapon in the right hands.

Naruto eyes were intently particular to a select three of them. As he leisurely circled his visitors, the unfamiliar wolves had caught his attention. He was hyperaware of the anxiety enveloping them, feeling it grow and thicken the longer he paced around them. All he desired was to observe the new three in all dimensions. Once he completed two time consuming laps, he paused in front of the only one who really did not emanate any indicators of fear…

His fur was a very smooth, rich shade of brown, and each of his pointed ears was adorned with a silver piercing. The wolf narrowed his eyes, lowering his head in a defensive position. Naruto leaned into Shikamaru's face, took a few quick whiffs, and then, silently, he moved on.

He repeated this process with Hinata, circling her once more and pausing before her. The moment he stopped, she flinched and took a step back. Her ears were folded back as a sign of distress. The fox's ears twitched at the forensic heartbeat within her chest as he sniffed her as well.

At last he directed his attention to the last of the unfamiliar wolves. The darker brown wolf had explosions of emotions radiating from his eyes. To Naruto, these eyes were both captivating and nostalgic. Their altered hue did not intervene with their qualities of generosity and kindness. Naruto did not need to circle this one; he simply pawed up to him. Iruka looked down on him, silently sending the boy a plea through their eye contact. He was wishing for a miracle; it would make him ecstatic if his student could possibly identify him even in a different body. There were other more pressing matters to attend to, but this was the test of a lifetime.

Naruto was uncomfortably close to Iruka once he halted. The tranquility in his expression had turned into apprehension once he could feel his breaths on his nose. He narrowed his red eyes, curiously staring into the glowing yellow orbs floating blissfully in the head of the wolf.

His heart sank when the realization hit him. Suddenly Naruto whipped his head around to face the silver wolf. It was his mortal enemy, and Naruto knew that this despicable gathering of half-beasts had to be his doing. Only he would be so heartless. Growls that sounded like roars ripped out of his throat as he prowled towards the immensely larger beast.

"You…" a twisted voice spoke through Naruto's lips. It was barely recognizable as his own. Hearing such rage in his tone was painful. "You bastard!"

Naruto powerfully lunged himself at Kakashi, effortlessly shoving him onto the ground. In a blur of motion he slashed his claws wildly at the wolf's body. Kakashi's constant struggling left him only barely scathed before he nerved himself into kicking Naruto away, who slammed onto the ground on his shoulder. Once he regained his footing, the fox stood still in a threatening pose. The wild thrashing of his tails were beating craters into the lifeless ground. His teeth and claws were poised for battle, and even though he was exhibiting aggression, a clear sign that the others _needed_ to stop him immediately, no one dared intervene with this confrontation out of fright.

"How could you…How dare you!" he shouted, absolutely furious. Kakashi had stood up now, panting to regain his lost breath. "How dare you lay a single hand on them!"

"What? Naruto, what are you talking abou—"

He was cut off when Naruto tackled him again, this time with his claws dug in his skin. The silver wolf cried loudly, the agony nearly unbearable. His shoulder, his chest, and his legs were all snagged by Naruto's talons. This second vicious attack snapped the others out of their stupor, goading them to act. They charged after him to prevent any further damage to their leader, but their effort was rendered ineffective when they were each halted by his mighty tails. Naruto had not looked back to aim, yet he was able to get at least one tail around every wolf, lifting them several feet above the ground. Kakashi stared in awe at this feat; it was obvious Naruto's control over the tails had advanced in the last two months.

"Don't play that game with _me_, Kakashi," Naruto growled quietly to his face. "You know damn well what I'm talking about."

To emphasize his point, he lifted the three he spoke of higher off the ground, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Iruka. They thrashed and whined in the bindings, desperate to be free once more.

"Why did you do it…why would you even think of passing this curse onto them? They've done nothing to deserve it!"

"I didn't bite them all," Kakashi replied plainly. Naruto reacted by clenching his paws tighter, digging even deeper into his flesh.

"Who did you bite?!"

"…I bit…one of them…" he murmured, swallowing powerfully.

"Tell me which one you hurt," the fox demanded firmly. Kakashi hesitated, glancing around frantically. Under pressure and in pain, his trapped comrades' cries for help urged him to admit his crime. A sigh drifted through his nostrils as he looked at Naruto beseechingly.

"I…I bit…" he said, taking breaths between his pauses. "I bit Iruka."

His fanged maw was poised for a roar before he felt a sudden jolt of pain ripple from his tail. Instead Naruto let out a shrill cry of pain. Shikamaru had worked up the courage to bite the tail that held him captive, at last setting them all free. The tails loosened enough for the werewolves to escape.

Naruto removed his claws and backed away from Kakashi. The fur down his spine and tails bristled as he growled, and he flared his teeth to intimidate his enemies. His threatening gestures caused alarm among the wolves. Even though this aggressiveness was expected, it was startling to see how intense his anger was. It was a magnitude of rage and hatred that was deemed incapable of reaching by a boy typically seen with a smile on his face.

The damaged tail thrashed around more sporadically then the other eight, causing blood to fly in various directions. It did not bleed for long, and neither did the wound remain. A red glow lit up at the edges of it, spreading over the bite wound rapidly; in mere seconds the gash was smoothed over with new skin along with a new bundle of fur over it. It was shocking how quickly the healing took place.

Iruka took a step forward; Naruto immediately directed all his rage towards him. This did not stop Iruka, who calmly took slow steps against the imminent face of danger.

"Naruto…you could tell who we were?" he calmly asked the enraged animal. His inquiry caused Naruto's growling to suddenly cease. The fierce red eyes turned steely cold, and he lifted his head up to stand tall. Their gazes were locked by a powerful force from which neither could escape. Naruto could feel his cold, withered heart beat more clearly now; it had always been this way between him an Iruka. There was something mysterious about Iruka that caused this complex emotion to occur.

"…Shikamaru…and Hinata…Iruka-sensei," the fox muttered their names somberly. "It wasn't the scent that told me…it was all in your eyes." Iruka was taken aback as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Our…eyes?"

He nodded once. "Their color may change, but their essence does not," he explained. "Shikamaru, your eyes are…dull, but they're powerful and intelligent. Hinata…not a single person in this world possibly has eyes as soft, kind and welcoming as yours, and…Iruka…your eyes." Naruto had begun to hesitate, searching his very soul for the perfect words to describe them. "Your eyes…have always made me feel safe. Even now…I feel more secure looking into them."

Naruto dropped his head and turned his back to the wolves. "But I don't have that gift of identity…I've been erased…and replaced." A soft grunt came out of his throat and he lowered his nose to the ground. His body trembled as long suppressed emotions resurfaced: sorrow and spite.

"I've been replaced…by a demon…" His words quivered as if on the brink of tears. Quickly he threw up a mask and snarled ferociously. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting the gaze of the large silver wolf to direct the false anger towards him. It hid nothing, for there were already tears developing in the corners of his eyes. "Isn't that right, Kakashi?"

The pack's attention was diverted to their leader, whose eyes were wide in shock. Only Sasuke and Iruka were fully aware of what Naruto was trying to say. Sasuke was burdened with having to see and hear what happened, and Iruka was the only person who Kakashi openly admitted what he had done wrong. Those words Kakashi begrudgingly threw onto Naruto's already heavily burdened shoulders had been the ignition to the full corruption of his mind. Demon was but one of those words, but each of them hurt the same.

"Remember, Kakashi? Remember what you said to me?" he asked, facing him fully. "Why would you come for me if you were the one who drove me away? Do you want to torment me more? Or are you here to fulfill your threat?"

The persistent questioning left Kakashi speechless. Those who were unaware of the exact details continued to stare between the two skeptically, wondering what could have possibly been said that left Naruto so agonized and infuriated. A long period of silent glaring overcame them as the boy impatiently awaited his answers. When viewing his pain became too much, Kakashi broke their stare and redirected it to the ground.

"Because…I didn't mean it," he replied quietly, amazingly too quiet for Naruto to hear.

"What did you—"

"I said I didn't mean it!" Kakashi shouted, finally lifting his irises to meet Naruto's again. He breathed rapidly, unintentionally flaring his monstrous fangs. "I'm not here to hurt you…I—we're here to make things right. What I said to you that night was wrong…and…all I wanted was to tell you…I-I'm sorry, Naruto. I should have never said those awful things. You're not a beast…or a monster…or a demon of any kind! You're only you, and I'm sorry for ever making you think otherwise. Please…forgive me…I just…I'm sorry."

Everything became silent and still as if time itself had been frozen in its tracks. The fox's stare was unhitched, a constant glare painted over his blood red eyes. Naruto gritted his sharp teeth within his mouth as his mind slowly registered the silver wolf's desperate plea. Every remark in his sentiment cut deep, and he was stabbed with untamable rage with each utterance of "I'm sorry."

The first sign of movement came from the corners of Naruto's mouth. Each end twitched a little as if trying to form a smile, but the fox had prevented it from developing into one. Defiantly he gripped his claws into the earth, his muscles growing tense in the process. His tails had relatively stopped moving, only jerking a bit when shivers ran down his spine.

A wave of tremors rolled through his body, and his hold on the smile was vanquished. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly; at the same time one of his ears drooped and his tails resumed swaying. Through that miniscule smile, quiet cackles jabbed at the air.

Suddenly, the fox busted out in an uncontrollable laughter. This was no laugh of happiness or joy, but it was twisted, wicked, and above all inhuman. Within his laugh were bestial screeches and growls. To hear this warped variety of a normally pleasant thing seemed to be a fate worse then his deadly claws drilling into their skull. It was not only physically painful to listen to; it was emotionally damaging as well.

At last he ceased with an over exaggerated gasp for air, his eyes abnormally wide. He took a step forward, staggering in the wrong direction before regaining his footing. It took him a few moments to fully recover from his outburst, which oddly felt exhilarating. All that was left of it was a vile grin, a grin that told of nothing but malice.

"Sorry…" he barely managed through hushed chuckles. "Sorry, sorry, sorry…_Sorry_! You followed me here just to drown me in that _pathetic _excuse of an _apology_? No, no wait…You wanted me to be _swayed_ by it." At the word "swayed" Naruto smoothly swerved between Hinata and Shikamaru to get in closer to Kakashi. His devious grin was now merely an inch away from the wolf's muzzle. "And then I'm supposed to be _persuaded_ to return to the Leaf Village with you and we can all be _happy_. Am I hitting this on the dot, because you can stop me when I jeer a little to the left."

The situation had left them all without voice or mobility. The way Naruto behaved was irregular, fearsome, and tremendously out of the ordinary. Without a doubt, they could admit there was something very wrong in his conscious mind. All these abrupt mood swings it hard to determine what he would do or if he would be joyful this second and angry the next.

"If you're going to apologize, why don't you apologize…for _everything_?" Naruto asked, performing a quick circle around his body. His multiple tails were loosely wrapped around Kakashi's petrified body. "Those petty remarks…they are only a small part of why I hate you so much!"

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but before any words escaped it one of the fox's tails clutched his mouth shut. This caused his nasal passage to be blocked, and little air could be filtered through his teeth. Naruto's act of restraint was irrevocably suffocating him.

"I'll save your breath for you…I don't want an apology from you, because sorry…just isn't enough…" After he spoke, he released the wolf's muzzle, who panted heavily for air after being deprived of it for those few seconds.

"Then…what…do you…want me to say to you Naruto," Kakashi rasped between breaths. "I'll…I'll do anything…"

"Submission to my will? How pleasant," Naruto muttered darkly, finally stepping away from the large wolf. A scowl nearly worked its way on Kakashi's face, but he preserved an emotionless composure. "Are you sure you will do anything?"

"Yes…anything at all…I cannot stand this guilt any longer…just tell me what you want me to do to redeem myself and I'll do it."

Naruto's devilish smile grew impossibly wider. Hastily the red fox whipped his body around and pounced Kakashi to the ground. One by one, Naruto stabbed his claws into the wolf's left shoulder, painfully slashing open the still numb puncture wounds from before. A grunt of agony lolled out of Kakashi's throat. Enduring these sharp pricks was exceptionally difficult.

"Listen carefully…" he mumbled in a sickly smooth tone. Naruto slowly pulled his claws down his shoulder, effortlessly shredding Kakashi's fur, skin, and flesh. The trail of wounds he left was gradually traveling towards the wolf's chest. Helplessly, Kakashi writhed underneath his student, who leaned in towards his pointed ear.

"I want you," Naruto whispered, hot breath caressing the thin tissue that made Kakashi's ear, "to suffer…and die."

The wolf's expression morphed from agonized to traumatized. Never in his life had he heard something so malevolent escape the mind of this young boy. Desperately he searched in his eyes for something familiar, something that remained of Naruto's true character.

No matter how long and hard he searched those crazed, blood soaked eyes, there was no sign of Naruto Uzumaki.

The fox clenched his paw over his victim's chest, bit by bit digging deeper into his bodily tissues. Blood pooled on the dead grass and leaves and spread profusely through his fur. Kakashi kicked and grunted, struggling to break free. Somehow Naruto had the strength to keep him pinned down regardless that he was nearly half his size. The horrible truth was that he was too advanced of a specimen to be fought one on one. Without factoring in the fact he had a year's experience on them, the long and powerful tails were a huge advantage on his part.

A small laugh emitted from the fox's mouth. His hand trembled with barely contained excitement; the more he shoved his claws in the clearer he could feel his prey's heartbeat. Beside his lust for blood, the mystifying emotion he experienced when the victim's frantic heartbeat could be felt so intricately made him giddy about the thought of taking another's life. Naruto could very well have chosen to maul him to death, but of all his methods of killing, this one allowed him to savor the victim's suffrage for much longer.

"You're right, you know," he admitted half-heartedly, halting his advance for a moment. His claws barely grazed the steel hard rib bones that contained a living animal's most precious sources of life, the heart and lungs. Naruto was literally holding onto a chunk of Kakashi's flesh, his hand dipped in a massive amount of blood. "I know what I am. I'm not blind. A human doesn't fall in love with murder…I love the feel of it…the sight of it…the taste, the smell…the _screams_…and the _begging_ for _mercy_!"

The foxed dipped his long, flat tongue into the pools of blood on Kakashi's body. Deeply, he inhaled the aroma after he swallowed the blood down. "Werewolf blood…tastes a thousand times better then human blood. Consistent…pure…For some reason, though…yours just doesn't taste quite as nice as Sasuke's."

"_If I move now…I'm done for," _Kakashi thought anxiously. Softly he closed his eyes in defeat.

"I _am_ a beast. I _am_ a monster. I _am_ a demon!" he declared almost proudly. "It's what I was meant to _be_!"

"_Stop_!" a sudden shriek tore at the sky. It was the cry of a woman, a scream forced through pitiful sobs of grief. The fox swiveled his head towards the sound of weeping, his eyes meeting the gaze of a female wolf. Streams of water poured down her furry gray cheeks, those tears glimmering in the moonlight. "Naruto … please…just stop…"

He remained perfectly still for a while, seriously contemplating whether to comply or not. Kakashi's jagged breathing indicated he was entering a state of uncontainable fear, for he could only keep himself mentally prepared for the end seconds before it should have happened. The fox cringed internally at Hinata's whimpering; the more he stared at her, the less compelled he felt to eliminate his sensei.

"Please don't kill him, Naruto…I'm begging you," she said as she cautiously stepped towards him with her ears folded back. "I can't stand to see you like this…it hurts…so much…"

In response, Naruto growled through an open mouth, forcing Hinata to pause in her steps. It appeared he was not going to fulfill her wishes and he returned his attention to the wolf within his deadly clutches. The amount of blood he had shed thus far was nearly enough to kill him through blood loss alone. Resentfully, Naruto snorted and carefully removed his fingers from the body. The holes he left behind were overflowing with the red ooze and his hand was drenched in it. Small drops of blood slid off his slick claws and joined the puddles below.

"It hurts…does it?" he asked her while walking towards her. In tandem with his steps Hinata stepped backwards, simultaneously luring him away from Kakashi.

While he was focused on Hinata, Sakura snuck past him to reach the leader's side. Her primary job on this squad was to tend to battle wounds, and Kakashi had sustained a very dire one. Quietly and carefully she placed her paw over the deepest gash in his chest. The silver wolf squirmed, his breathing frantically quick.

"I just wanted to be left alone here for the rest of my life…is that so much to ask?" the fox murmured, a sense of self pity in his tone. He continued advancing on the girl, an act that would normally flatter her. As she stared into the depths of his red irises, she idly wondered why Naruto was so absent from them. Perhaps what he said was true; maybe he really had lost himself to the demon within. "Why couldn't you all have just…forgotten about me?"

"Naruto …I-I don't u-understand why…" she stuttered. In mid-step, she paused completely as she realized her past timid characteristics were resurfacing within her. Mentally, she shook all apprehensions off and replaced her frightened expression with defiance. She let loose a vicious, irate growl, causing the fox to cease movement. "…You're in there somewhere, Naruto. I'll bring you back…somehow…"

Naruto snorted disdainfully and shook his head, furrowing his brow. "Naruto is dead, Hinata."

"You're right here, Naruto. I don't care that you look like this…"

This caused him to quietly chuckle. "I'm not sure how I can respond to that…"

"You can start by thinking a little…this isn't what you want to do with yourself, Naruto; you know it's not. Deep down you know…you can't just be alone…a-and you can't just live your life like an animal. You need your friends, and your friends need you. Kakashi had us come because he _does _know and he _does _care. Naruto I just—"

"I'd stop if I were you," he interrupted, placing his paw in front of Hinata's muzzle. "Keep talking…and I _will _rip your throat out. I am_ not_ returning to that wretched village. That is my final answer…and anyone who tries to make me shall die as well."

Furiously, Hinata narrowed her eyes at the nine-tailed, her heart suddenly being turned upside down within her. She started to choke on another wave of tears. It was devastating to hear that he would even consider killing her or anyone for that matter. All along she had an intuition that this was how it was going to be, but a soft voice inside her coerced her to believe that he would be fine, that he would be normal, and they could return home in peace. That irrational thought was put to shame by his gut wrenching threat, opening her eyes to the true problem at hand. Shakily, she dug her claws into the ground and gritted her teeth.

"If I can't talk sense into you…" she mumbled through her teeth, her voice wavering with sorrow once more. Hinata did not bother finishing and snarled as she bore a fierce glare into her beloved's skull. In one quick motion she pounced on the fox, effectively bringing him to the ground as she snapped her jaws over his forearm. Hinata quivered on the inside, the sudden loss of innocence striking her like a shock wave. Previously she had only used her teeth and claws to kill the deer, but now she had ripped holes into the body of one of the most important persons in her life.

Equally shocked, Naruto did little to fight back within the first thirty seconds of the assault. As he thought about it, though, it was not really a surprise to see her do this. The whole idea of werewolves was based upon the idea of change. Change is an important aspect of all lifecycles, and the weres had to succumb to extravagant amounts of change in a very short period of time. It was expected that her attitude would have changed with her body. In fact if she had not changed at all he would think something was wrong with her. Even Naruto was not blind to his own transformations; he had become cold hearted, distant, and vengeful. In the beginning these symptoms were mild. Over time they spiraled out of control and landed him here in a confrontation with people who he once held dear.

Once the surprise had passed over, a mild smirk curled on his lips as his demonic eyes met her angelic purple irises. They stared at one another for over a minute before Naruto finally took action (very subtle action, however). Each of his nine tails gently grabbed her by her legs, arms, torso, and neck.

"You'll what, Hinata?" he asked quietly, daring her to finish her statement. "You'll beat it into me?"

Hinata huffed a sigh through her nose, opening her mouth to speak and ultimately releasing her bite.

"That's what I intended to say, yes," she admitted.

"That's a pretty bold thing to say, Hinata. You've got a lot more spunk as a wolf…Are you sure you want to live up to that?" The tails started to coil a little tighter to emphasize his doubt.

"If I can't then everyone else will."

Naruto's ears perked up when she mentioned the other werewolves. Now conscious of the other's presence, he suddenly tossed Hinata aside into a nearby tree, and he scrambled to his feet. She fell to the ground sprawled out limply with her eyes closed. All this time his chat with Hinata was only buying Sakura time to heal Kakashi's fatal wounds. At this point the injury was half healed thanks to Kakashi's natural healing ability assisting Sakura's efforts to rejuvenate the damaged tissue. The wolves that surrounded their leader were alerted by Naruto's growl.

Displeased that his efforts to kill Kakashi were now foiled, Naruto dashed after them. In the split seconds between, Sasuke and Shikamaru had mobilized fully and were prepared for battle. As of now their priority was to make sure the leader was safe until he was healed. If they were to try to apprehend Naruto now with three of their comrades incapable of helping the consequence would be failure.

Technically there were four wolves unable to battle. Iruka was physically ready, but mentally he was crippled by the devastating things he had seen his student do and heard him say. From the beginning he told himself that he would at all costs abstain from getting involved in combat. The two arguments, one demanding that he get involved in the fighting, the other refraining him from it, clashed within him, leaving him frozen on the spot.

Sasuke deflected Naruto's primed claws with his own, the sound reminiscent of the clash of kunai. He followed this act up with a slash to his opponent's face. The fox shrieked and backed away. Softly the black wolf growled, fully focused on Naruto, who narrowed his eyes. The few moments of staring yielded a smile upon Naruto's muzzle.

A one on one battle ensued between the red fox and black wolf as they blindly threw their claws at each other's flesh. Each focused on giving frontal blows to his foe, but their attacks were not very precise, most of them ending up as frenzied blurs. The few that actually hit were minor. However, the physical part of this small spat was but a guise that set a veil over the real competition.

Their vocalization was being tested more then their strength. The volume and intensity of their cries increased to topple the other's voice until it was an earsplitting montage of snarling. Desperately they both attempted to bark and growl louder then the other. It was merely an issue of pride and dominance provoked by the fact their previous battle months ago had resulted in a technical draw. Instinct had told them they had to settle it somehow.

Sasuke knew better then to always adhere to instinct. Though he was the one who preached that instinct was always right, over the course of time he learned that reason was important as well. The fact that he as a werewolf had reason as well as instinct was what made him and all werewolves special creatures.

To make the battle cease, he snapped his jaws over Naruto's muzzle, causing the fox to squeal agonizingly. Sasuke's teeth could not dig deep due to the lack of fleshy tissues in the face and the obstruction of bones. He was easily shaken off without a good grip. The action slowed to a halt, sending them back into a silent pause.

"If only there were a full moon…this would almost be like that night, Sasuke. You've gotten much better at this," the fox complimented.

"So have you. It's scary to think that you could have gotten any stronger," said Sasuke mildly.

"I suppose you have something to say to me, too," he mumbled irately, wiping the blood on his muzzle on the back of his paw. It was then that Sasuke really noticed that all of his injuries had disappeared.

"I do—"

"Do you really want to piss me off?"

"I'm not saying anything." Naruto tilted his head skeptically, to which Sasuke responded with a sigh. "At least nothing like Kakashi and Hinata were saying."

The fox sat there in utter silence.

"Look after this, you can do whatever you want. Rip my head off for all I care. If my friends were in the way of _my _revenge I'd kill them too. I can't tell you you're wrong for wanting revenge on Kakashi. He did something unforgivable. I'd never ask you to accept his apology in a thousand years…You know how this messes your mind up…being a werewolf. Did you ever consider he was speaking out of impulse…not from his heart?"

Naruto pretended to think about it for a moment. Both of his ears were folded back and he scratched the ground nervously. These emotions were signs of a weakening will.

"I did," he responded plainly.

"And?"

"Then it told me I was being a fool."

Sasuke was taken aback by his reply. He narrowed his eyes inquisitively, wondering who or what had talked to him in these months of solitude. When the answer dawned on him, he gave Naruto an apologetic look and frowned. In a way, this revelation scared him as well. The fact that the demon was actually communicating with him could mean anything, but it could never mean anything good.

"The fox?" he attempted to ask lightly. He was rewarded with a hasty nod. "I…didn't know it could talk to you."

"Yeah…"

"Just because it's a part of you…doesn't mean it's right."

Suddenly, Naruto snarled and snapped his teeth at Sasuke. If not for Sasuke's reflexes he would have sustained another bite wound. The fox continued to growl, ready to assault him again.

"You know _nothing_," he barked angrily to the wolf. "You'll never _ever _understand what it's like to have an evil voice in your head that takes pleasure out of rotting you from the inside out!"

Naruto slashed claws at Sasuke, who continued to scarcely escape more damage. If he were to get severely hurt while Kakashi was still rejuvenating, their disadvantage on the battlefield would increase dramatically. He ducked and sidled away from the fox's claws, unable to find time to counterattack. There were a few times he attempted to attack back, but nothing actually worked.

On the sidelines, Shikamaru sat and waited for his moment to intervene. With Naruto distracted, he had been given the opportunity to sit and think about a proper course of action. There were appropriate times for spontaneous combat; this was not one of them, even though that was the tactic prominently being used. It was about time that a real, genuine game plan was developed before it was too late.

However smart the others may be, Shikamaru was on an intelligence tier all his own. He could examine ideas in depth quickly, even under pressure like this. His quick eye could catch even the most discreet details with minimal effort. This key characteristic that made Shikamaru who he was had been virtually untouched by his curse.

Softly closing his eyes, he knelt down on one knee and lifted his arms from the ground. Now in a more upright position, he could perform his "thinking stance". He completed the stance by connecting each of his clawed fingers to one another. It did not necessarily help him think; he only did it on impulse when he needed to closely observe a situation. He trusted that he could be protected by Sasuke for just a few moments while he studied Naruto based on subconscious data he had collected.

"_He's freakishly strong, royally pissed, and any hit we do manage to land gets healed ten seconds later," _Shikamaru stated in his head "_…It's just unreal. Naruto's really been warped in the head by it too. It's a whole new definition to going crazy with power…" _

"_Maybe he's not as strong as he looks though. The battling has consisted of mostly one on one combat. The point of me, Hinata, and Iruka joining the cause was to overpower him in numbers, but so far we haven't done much teamwork…"_

A burst of insight hit him, the image of Naruto pinning Kakashi down flickering in his head, followed by when the rest of them were trapped by his tails.

"_If we try to get him from behind while he's occupied with someone else, he can just use the tails to stop us. I haven't seen him try to grab anyone that was in front of him, except for when he grabbed Kakashi's muzzle with one…so maybe he has a harder time grabbing people in front of him with the tails. It seems he's only trained himself to use them to defend his backside. They seem like the biggest advantage he has over us, but the only ace those tails really give him is a way to watch his back._

"_He isn't really all that big looking either. I thought he would have been a giant like Kakashi, but he's only about as big as Sasuke is, and Uchiha's only the third largest of all of us. The way he's been fighting really says that he doesn't want to have to fight more then one of us at once…He must know he can't take us all on, so to keep the rest of us from ganging up on him…he's been playing mind games with us to glorify his strengths. The growling, the glaring, the aura of energy…He's been scaring us into thinking we can't do anything to hurt him, and while we're trembling like cowards he tries to pick off somebody. A very useful tactic…but a little off stream for him… _

"_Naruto's definitely a different fighter in this form then in his human form. Then again, there are very significant differences that he has had to adapt to. Naruto is used to having access to Shadow Clones to keep a fight under control. He's never been very good at attacking and guarding from all directions on his own. The tails can only compensate so much due to their limited reach..."_

"_So…just how do we use these things to beat him…"_

Shikamaru only wished he had time to share his thoughts and accusations. He had to be very brief about the explanation. To signal that he was finished, he slipped back into his quadruped stance, and he turned back to the confrontation.

In order to test a theory, he threw himself into the fray and swiped his claws over Naruto's furry chest. At the same time Sasuke also cut him on the shoulder, and now Naruto was the one backing away from them. As Shikamaru had planned, the tide had turned in their favor simply because he became involved. An onslaught of slices and bites were thrown at the fox, and unfortunately he took each agonizing one. High-pitched cries came out of his mouth.

His shrieks unexpectedly burst out as a roar as Naruto retaliated out of frustration. Blindly, he jumped right through their weapons, landing a bite on Sasuke horrifyingly close to his neck. If it had hit where it was supposed to, instant death would have been expected. The other wolf attempted to free his comrade, but he was violently kicked away before any action could be taken. The fox thrashed his head, doing everything he could to severely injure Sasuke.

The best blood he had ever tasted was now his to revel in. Naruto's pupils dilated and his heart-rate increased. The fury in his body language abruptly disappeared; the emotion he now displayed was more tranquil. He let the blood flow naturally into his mouth rather then sucking it as he drank the indulgent liquid. His bodily reaction was no different then the first time he got to sample Sasuke's blood.

This controlling, unhealthy addiction was what really started this catastrophe. Blood had made him do countless things he was not proud of, blood led to Sasuke's normal human body to become tainted with an evil curse, and blood eventually would drive Naruto to pure, incurable insanity.

Not only was Sasuke frightened of the attack and the chance he might not survive it; he had a disturbing gut feeling that Naruto's powerful obsession with specifically _his _blood would set him over the edge. Only Sasuke really knew it, but Naruto was holding a massive amount of his strength back because he really did not want to hurt anyone.

Quickly, Shikamaru charged at the fox and bit onto a mass of skin on the fox's back, causing him to yelp and let go of the victim. With all the strength he could muster, he yanked Naruto off of Sasuke with his jaws alone, tossing him about two meters away from his pack mate. He looked down at Sasuke worriedly.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine," the black wolf responded weakly.

"Stay here with the others till Kakashi's healed. I'm gonna distract him."

"What? Wait, Shikamaru—"

Before his warning could be delivered, Shikamaru was already on the move. While Naruto was getting up, he knocked him back down on the ground with a tackle. Shikamaru bounded away and assumed a defensive stance. The fox groaned, looking up to see the brown wolf crouching between two trees with a cocky smirk on his face.

Shikamaru's new goal was to goad Naruto into a chase. His comrades needed time to recuperate, but with the menace to their well being present, their recovery would be jeopardized. Purposely, the wolf swayed his tail to taunt him. This was the only way he, the last one fit enough to fight, could be of service to the others in the pack. He did not have the slightest idea of how to hold up a fight in his wolf body, so he was prepared to do what he did best as a wolf: run.

Naruto snarled at the attacker as he fell for the teasing, baring his teeth threateningly. A combination of blood and saliva ran down his fangs and lips in nauseating streams, making him appear almost rabid. Even his eyes were tinged a deeper red. Shikamaru did not pay attention to either fact, barking at him to force the challenge.

The fox was unhesitant in accepting this challenge. He barked back at him, causing the thick red tinged spit to fly in various directions. Naruto scrambled to his feet to pursue him, and in a blur of brown and red, the two of them disappeared into the deep thickets of the woods.

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End of Chapter

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It was fun to write in the beginning…but then towards the end I started to get angry with myself. Bah. Thanks for stickin' with me through thick and thin! Please be patient for Chapter 17…

So, guess what all? There are only three chapters left to Blood Chakra! (It might become four, depends on how the next two go). I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I have never finished any multi-chapter fanfiction before, and I'll be proud to say that Blood Chakra was my first. Don't let the winding down_ get_ you down, though! I myself can't wait for next chapter!

Next Time! The Demon Mask. No matter how stuck the mask seems, there will always be a way to eliminate it.


	18. The Demon Mask

I knew it would take me all summer to do this. I just get way too distracted during summer vacation to focus on something like this. It is a little off towards the end, due to my desperation to get this up for everybody, but I hope you can all bare with me.

During one of my procrastination bouts, I decided to make a website specifically dedicated to this story and my other future fanfiction. I created a blog, and if you're really into this story and want updates on it in real time, then it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to check it out. Maybe even subscribe? Haha. I do have a few things of interest on there other then following my Fanfiction Progress…such as a revelation of a big secret, and the Blood Chakra Soundtrack. The link is listed as my homepage on my profile.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter. I don't like the second half of it, but it's the best I can do.

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**Chapter 17**

_January 1__st_

The Demon Mask

Sasuke sneered as he sat up, lightly dusting off the throbbing bite wound on his shoulder. Baffled and terrified he stared in the direction the two had run. In a split second they were long gone, and their voices disappeared nary a moment later. Though he should be worried about both of them, Sasuke was gravely concerned for Shikamaru's well being. Shikamaru lacked the general bulkiness that the other male wolves had, which left him very vulnerable and unequipped to defend himself against Naruto, but where his strengths were he prospered. Quick on his feet and in his mind, there was no doubt that he was made for speed. Whether he was actually any faster then Naruto was the mystery.

It was tremendously hard for him to do, but he agreed with himself to listen to Shikamaru's request and decided to stay with the group for now. If he were completely inconsiderate, Sasuke would have followed simply because he knew Naruto was sure to destroy him. He was freed from his worries by the fact that Shikamaru was smart, smarter then all of them combined, and his plans were always fool-proof.

"You best be on to something, Shikamaru…" Sasuke mumbled to the air. He heaved a sigh as he glanced over his shoulder to observe their fallen leader. Kakashi was coming along well for what Naruto had done. He had thought Kakashi would be unable to recover, but thanks to Sakura he was sure that he would be well enough to resume the pursuit soon.

Eventually he brought himself to join Sakura and Iruka who were still at Kakashi's side. Hinata had yet to stand after being tossed aside and remained at the base of the tree with a somewhat dazed look in her eyes. For now he let it slip his mind as he was far more troubled by their leader's injury. Cautiously, he leaned over to get a good look at it.

There was nothing left to the imagination as to what happened. Naruto had dug his claws so deep into the skin that it seemed even his ability to heal and Sakura's jutsu weren't enough to fully repair the damage, and, like a human, would eventually develop scar tissue. As of now it was still a raw wound, stretching down from his left shoulder to the middle of his chest. The fur surrounding it was drenched in his blood, dry and wet; fortunately, the bleeding had ceased. Simply knowing that allowed Sasuke to breathe easier.

"_I can't believe Naruto would do something like that…no…more like I can't believe he could do it," _he thought.

His ears perked up at a quiet sniffle to his left. He glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye, and he discovered that she was tearing. A small frown appeared on his muzzle as he wondered what was upsetting her. It could be Kakashi, it could be Naruto, or it could be something entirely different. Sakura had many issues to cope with, some immediate and others less so. Sasuke could assume that her weeping had something to do with Naruto, but even he could not tell just by looking at her.

"Sakura…?" he mumbled quietly. In response, she sniffed again before looking at him. Her bright green eyes glistened with agony, causing him to feel her pain. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes…" she whispered, tilting her head down to stare at Kakashi. The only thing that reassured her that he was indeed okay was the steady rise and fall of his chest. Sakura gagged on a sob, gritting her teeth tightly to fight it. Now that Sasuke was there, she somehow felt more compelled to cry, to let her sorrow out to him. She noticed he had a rather discerning bite wound, and even though it was no longer bleeding, it only confirmed the unbearable reality that Naruto was capable of and unhesitant to hurt people who cared about him.

The tears ran down in a stream when she clenched her eyes shut. She was not the only one who was heart broken; everyone's high hopes were shattered and left to rot on the ground like garbage.

"…How could this happen to him, Sasuke?" Sakura asked almost silently, trying not to sound hysteric. "I-it's like…he's lost himself."

Dejectedly, Sasuke lowered his head and whimpered a bit. That was in essence the best way to explain Naruto's vicious and uncharacteristic behavior. This left Sasuke to deeper contemplate what exactly was wrong with him. There was no doubt in his mind; he was positive that Naruto had become Feral. However, his original deduction was that he would still be superficial or just entering the extreme stage. Now that he had seen the behavior first hand, he was proven dreadfully wrong.

"It isn't his fault," Sasuke said plainly. "It never was his fault."

"It's that demon's fault," she growled spitefully. "No, it's the Fourth Hokage's for sealing it in him in the first place." After saying that, she sighed, and her sudden spike of fury dwindled. "…no. That isn't right of me to say."

Sasuke nuzzled her cheek comfortingly. "Naruto will be okay. None of us are ready to give up on him yet…He wouldn't give up on us."

The small sentiment he shared somehow breathed life into the fallen and fear stricken. With hurt still in his eyes, Iruka glanced over at the couple hovering over Kakashi. Hinata finally moved after the long period of wallowing in her disappointment. Instead of lying on her side, she rolled over so she could lie on her stomach. Even their leader felt it a little. He stirred slightly and turned his head on its side. Sakura growled affectionately and nuzzled him back.

"You sound ridiculous, Sasuke," she mumbled into his ear. He chuckled warm-heartedly, taking her comment with no grudge. "So why did Shikamaru run off?"

"He's luring Naruto away, supposedly. He said he'll distract him while you heal Kakashi."

"I sure hope he's okay…"

"He has things under control. I'm sure if anything goes wrong we'll know."

"Is he going to come back, or will he just call us?"

Sasuke paused. "I don't know."

The two heard their leader grunt, directing their attention towards him. Kakashi's yellow eye was narrowly opened, but even slightly this indicated he was awake. He huffed and flared his nostrils as he glanced between Sasuke and Sakura.

"Shikamaru may be bright…but he can be a downright fool when he wants to be," their leader mumbled in a rasp voice. Sakura removed her bloody paw tentatively from his chest, wiping off what she could on the grass.

"How are you feeling, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked rather tensely.

"I'm in excruciating pain," he snapped, taking Sasuke by surprise. Kakashi rolled onto his side while gritting his teeth. It was obvious he was mentally ready to get up, but his injury said otherwise. Sakura gently touched his shoulder to motion him down.

"If it still hurts you shouldn't get up," she said softly.

"I'll be fine…" The large silver wolf struggled against the ache in his chest to stand. In his eyes were an odd mix of intense emotions, and to look into them was very frightening. He was angry, agonized, guilt-ridden and sorrowful. There was no reason to blame him for feeling those dreadful emotions, though. "We can't wait for me to fully recover."

"Yeah, but…"

"Trust me. I've kept going in worse conditions," he said as his body swayed in place. Once he steadied himself on all fours, it was a lot easier for him to ignore the wounds. "He'll get killed if we don't help him."

"Shikamaru told us to stay put," Sasuke explained.

"And since when did Shikamaru call the shots?" Kakashi growled, turning to face Sasuke and Sakura directly. He raised his head to tower over theirs, a gesture to remind them of his dramatically larger size. Sakura crouched and folded her ears back; Sasuke was less intimidated, but it was startling to see him so furious. "Last time I checked _I_ was the leader, so what I say goes."

This induced a reaction out of Iruka, who narrowed his eyes rather disgustedly at him. He was more of a self-proclaimed leader than anything. There was no questioning that he was the biggest and the oldest, and in the wild wolf pack hierarchy was run that way. Did that necessarily make it a valid excuse for Kakashi to threaten his comrades like that? He was not a lousy leader, but he was definitely not the perfect leader either.

"Come on…we don't need to fight amongst ourselves right now," Iruka spoke up after eons of silence. He pawed over to put a physical rift between Kakashi and the younger wolves. "We have a job to do."

Immediately, Kakashi turned and growled open mouthed, pacing back and forth as he angrily mulled over his thoughts. His behavior was rather inappropriate and immature, but Iruka fully understood his predicament. Afterall, he was not too happy with Naruto either. There was less anger and a lot more dismay with Iruka, though. His reason for being disappointed was so complex that even he did not fully understand why. He figured the shock played a key role in creating all of his mixed feelings. Then again, it hurt him to see Naruto in such a depressed and frenzied state.

"The more we fight each other," said Hinata quietly as she weakly strolled towards the group, "the less energy we'll have for restraining him."

It was good to see her on her feet again even though her mood was not quite as perky as it was before. She was not so full of the spunk that Naruto had commended her for, but at least her spirit had revived enough to give her the energy to stand and speak.

"I meant all that I said before. If we're going to do this…" Hinata swallowed, her voice faltering towards the end. Rude and violent words danced on the tip of her tongue, but she took the time to find a more calm way to voice her thoughts. "We'll have to break through with force."

A series of quick nods were ignited, signing an unconditional pact that there was to be no more nonsense or sentimental drivel. When they saw him next, there would be no mercy. Werewolves were not built with brute strength and agility to make peace; they were made to start and end wars.

Through the dismal silence broke out a distant cry, causing them to snap their heads in its direction with perked ears. The sound was a combination of a howl and an agonized scream. It was rather faint and far away, but there was no denying who the cry belonged to. Unbearable to think of, the worst case scenario seemed to be happening that very moment: Naruto had caught him.

"Shikamaru," Sasuke whispered horrified.

"Iruka, track them!" Kakashi commanded sternly. Immediately he obeyed the order, shifting gears to tracking mode as he pressed his nose to the ground. He wasted no time in finding the correct scent and he dashed after it, barking and howling distraughtly. "All right, let's move."

One by one they followed Iruka back into the denser part of the woods, a dark snarl lolling in the back of Iruka's throat. There was a distinct tinge of blood in the scent he was pursuing, putting more pressure on his shoulders. He could not tell whose blood was whose or if it was just the blood Naruto had shed through the short encounter before. It made him so tense that he was incapable of running to his full ability. As much as he would love to forget how much the blood stood out to him, he was powerless to do so. It was a repulsive thing about being half a creature that was bloodthirsty at heart.

For a few minutes there was nothing but the sound of their paws trampling the earth. Shikamaru had not howled or barked since, and it terrified them. There was not a sound from Naruto either. Iruka finally picked up speed when Shikamaru's scent began to reach its peak. Naruto's was still rather distant, so it was safe to say Nara was alone.

They were reaching the forest's edge. Abundant moonlight awaited them just ahead. As Iruka emerged from the brush he was greeted by the edge of a treacherous cliff. He nearly fell off of it too, but he scarcely avoided it by halting his pace abruptly. The others slowed down to a leisurely trot once they noticed this. Confused as to why Iruka was stopped, they all approached the edge and leaned their heads in curiously to observe.

A wide, rocky canyon blockaded them from proceeding any further. The sound of a rushing river echoed throughout the trench. It was not terribly deep, but a fall from that edge could be potentially life threatening. Hinata stretched her neck out further to get a better look. The ground below her right paw crumbled and fell, causing her to yelp in surprise and pull the paw back. The rocks that were dislodged pinged as they descended the precarious crag.

"Y-you don't think they fell down there, do you?" Sakura whimpered.

Iruka investigated the cliff's edge, sniffing a small area below his feet. "I can't tell. They were both at this ledge…" He lifted his head, glancing side to side. "…and then their scents go that way." He pointed to the left with his paw.

Iruka gave them all a swift nod and proceeded to following the new trail. They remained a good two feet away from the cliff for safety as they walked down Shikamaru's path. As they went along, Sakura started to notice something rather abnormal about the situation. They had heard Shikamaru scream, but there was not a single sign of struggle or blood shed. She expected there to be at least a _little_ blood if he had gotten hurt.

What if he didn't, though? Nothing seemed to add up.

In the distance there was a figure sitting at the base of a tree with their back leaned on the trunk. Sakura narrowed her eyes to discern who it was, but even without facial features in plain sight, the fur color was easily distinguishable: smooth, creamy brown. The pack perked up, relief cleansing them of their worries for now.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura called across the way as they dashed towards him. He looked up at them and opened his eye, somewhat of a smile on his muzzle. His tail thumped on the ground.

"Hey," he greeted nonchalantly, raising a paw their way. They stopped at his side and sat down, skeptical about everything that had happened to him in the short time he was away. Most importantly, they were concerned if he was hurt. Sakura trotted up to him to assess his condition.

"We heard you scream earlier," Sasuke stated with a hint of worry in his tone. "We…we thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not, dog-breath. Thanks for caring, though," he replied while shooting a glance his way. Meanwhile, Sakura was feeling over his left leg, which had a rather large bump on his shin. He inhaled through his teeth and winced when she barely grazed over it.

"Did he do that?" Kakashi asked, highly doubting it himself. If Naruto had really hurt him, there would be claw and teeth marks rather then a single bruise.

"No, he didn't." At that small sentence, Shikamaru lowered his head as if he were ashamed of himself. The memory was recent, yet somehow extremely significant to him. "Naruto didn't try to hurt me at all."

This caught their undivided attentions, shocking them to a great degree. Shikamaru hesitated, but eventually heaved a sigh and looked them in the eye once more.

"I was luring him away from you…so you could heal Kakashi, y'know," he started to say, turning to Sakura when he mentioned her. "I wasn't really watching where I was going, and I ended up…kinda…falling off the cliff." He lightly scratched his neck at how awkward and embarrassing that moment was. "That must've been when you heard me scream. I grabbed the ledge, and my leg got smacked upside the rocks. Because it hurt so much, I couldn't pull myself back up. I was close to falling off, and then…"

He paused once more to contemplate it more. What happened next still confused him, and he could not place how or why it had happened. The others looked on with interest, waiting for him to finish telling his tale.

"And then…he…" Shikamaru impulsively rubbed the back of his hand on his forehead. "Naruto…saved me."

This gauged a huge reaction out of the others, a myriad of uncertainty and flabbergast coming out of their mouths. Shikamaru laughed at himself, looking to the sky with a toothy grin on his face.

"Yeah…He saved my life right there. Right when I was gonna loose my grip…he…just grabbed my wrist." In his mind, the mysterious scene played out before him. He remembered how frightened he was to see the nine tailed so close to him, yet grateful for the rescue. "Naruto pulled me up…a-and uh…we just…sat there for a while."

"That's…incredible. I…" Hinata said blissfully, "…but…then where is he? Why isn't he with you?"

Shikamaru averted his eyes to the ground. "Well…He…When we were there just looking at eachother, I noticed something kind of different about him." Hinata narrowed her eyes in suspense. "Before I ran off…there was just this…pure…evil _killer _intent in his eyes. Right there though…his eyes were still freaky and demonic looking, but he was actually…there, like he'd come to his senses."

"Did he say anything to you?" Iruka asked urgently. Shikamaru shook his head.

"It…didn't last for long. Suddenly he turned rabid again, and he ran off. I tried to follow him, but I only got this far because of my leg."

"We need to get moving, fast," Kakashi declared forcefully. "He can't have gone fa—"

"Wait, before you go," Shikamaru interrupted. "I gotta tell you this…You can't just throw yourselves at him and expect to win. The key to taking him down is in our numbers. That is how it was meant to be from the beginning. Stay in front of him, and don't let him out of your sight. If you let him get into your head, you aren't going to last long."

"Where are you getting all this from?" Sasuke asked with his brow raised.

"I've been doin' a lot of thinking, fur ball," he responded arrogantly. "One last thing…If all else fails, your best bet is to stall him."

"Thank you, Shikamaru," Kakashi praised as he bowed his head. "Sakura, you stay here and help Shikamaru. The rest of us are going to track Naruto."

At that, Kakashi motioned his head in the direction they were originally heading, giving the pack the cue to move on. Iruka returned to tracking the scent, and the others followed closely behind. Sakura preformed two short hand signs and raised her right paw, an aura of green energy surrounding it; just as she was going to place it on his leg, Shikamaru gently nudged her hand away. She looked up at him with confusion.

"It isn't life threatening. You need to go help them," he said with an odd amount of seriousness.

"You're still hurt. If I heal it then we can both go," Sakura explained, which was responded with a shake of his head.

"It was worse before you found me. It'll heal on its own, just go ahead, kay?"

"But…why?"

"Naruto needs you more then I do, Sakura," Shikamaru said sincerely, weakly putting a paw on her shoulder. "He isn't in good shape, y'know."

"Well yeah…but…I…" Her words started to waver as if she was growing distressed. Sakura grit her teeth and closed her eyes. "…I don't want to hurt him."

"Yeah. None of us do, but we have to think realistically. In essence, it's not him who we are fighting against. It isn't our fight at all. This is Naruto's fight alone, and all we can do is help him succeed in it."

"Naruto's fight?" she said skeptically.

Shikamaru looked down at his lap and sighed, hesitating to answer. "This is between Naruto and his inner demon."

"His…inner demon, huh?"

Sakura had always been uncomfortable thinking about the fact that Naruto was cursed to be the container of such a beast. Ever since she learned that dreadful truth, there was a myriad of things that she had said to him that she wished she could take back. All the instances she called him a loser, every time she called him an idiot, she wanted nothing more then to pretend none of that ever happened. As these thoughts crossed her mind, she sniffled, barely holding back a wave of tears. That was all she could ever do for him. She could only shed tears.

Until now, though. Now she had other means to help him; Now Sakura had her own inner demon.

Suddenly, Sakura latched her arms around Shikamaru, who tensed up from shock. She sobbed as she embraced him, but why she was crying was far beyond him. The male wolf merely smiled, and patted her back.

"Easy now…don't want to get caught by furball, eh? If your boyfriend saw you hugging me, I'd get my throat ripped out," he mumbled jokingly, which yielded a short laugh out of Sakura. Promptly she released him, her own smile stretched across her muzzle.

"Hurry up, Shikamaru," she urged him as she stood on all fours and started off in the direction their pack mates went. "We'll be waiting for you."

At that, she sprang into a run, leaving Shikamaru bathed in a sense of accomplishment. He tapped the back of his head on the tree, looked up to the heavens with a glint of optimism in his eyes. Staring at the heavens, he contemplated the events of his life in the last few weeks. It all began so suddenly, and it seemed it was going to end just as suddenly. Regardless, he knew that things were never going to be the same for him again…

"What a drag," he murmured to himself. "They've got just a few more hours."

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The wolves panted and huffed loudly, their energy starting to run low from the constant sprint. The four who left had been on Naruto's trail for nearly ten minutes now, and even though they should still be full of strength, they were indeed beginning to run out of it. Before they engaged in this battle, they _had _been in a full run for a few hours just tracking him here. What were they going to do if they had to face him in a state of exhaustion?

Obviously, they would have to deal with it. It was not as if they were never in a situation like this before.

During this whole time, they had been closely weaving along the cliff's edge. This trench seemed to stretch for miles, carved out by the river that raged through it for countless years. It was puzzling that Naruto would just continue along its edge, but even in a different state of mind, he was still the most unpredictable thing to ever be spawned.

"We're getting close," Iruka announced. "We should be catching up with him at any moment now."

This foreshadowed event arrived much sooner then anticipated, though.

Like the first time, Naruto's scent ended abruptly, as did their pursuit. It did not take long for them to make the connection either, and they all turned their heads to look at the barren trees. They only heard a vicious, monstrous roar as the nine-tailed leapt at them with claws bared. Their reflexes failed to help them react in time.

Naruto landed on Hinata's back, his front claws brutally tearing into her back. She shrieked in pain, standing on her hind legs to attempt to shake him off. He hung on tightly though, biting her shoulder and digging with his back claws. The fox growled as he trashed his head, ripping flesh and spreading blood and carnage. His multiple tails twisted and curled around them.

This unexpected attack startled the others, and it took them a few seconds to react to it.

"Hinata!" Kakashi shouted as they dashed after them. The girl was desperately trying to get rid of the offending fox, crying agonized as she thrashed. However, she was not as acutely aware of was the cliff edge as she was moments before; she was getting dangerously close to it too. "Hinata, look out!"

It was too late. Her foot slipped off the ledge, ultimately sending the two plummeting down the deep rocky gorge. Their voices echoed through the valley, ending with a loud splash when they hit the water.

"No! Naruto! Hinata!" Iruka shouted down the cliff.

"Let's go, they'll be heading downstream," Sasuke stated as he took the first jump down onto a protruding rock. He repeated this process with other rocks to eventually reach the bottom. Kakashi and Iruka followed him down.

They landed on the rocky banks of the river. In the distance they could see Hinata struggling to stay afloat, a large, wet tail holding her down. Their eyes widened in shock. It was hard to believe that…Naruto was actually trying to kill her.

Without hesitation they gave chase, the speed of the river carrying the two away faster then they could run. In no time they were far out of their visible reach. As swiftly as they physically could, the wolves dashed after their friends, frantically hoping that they would be found alive. This terrain was somewhat tougher to tackle then dirt and grass, though, the ruggedness hindering their ability to reach top speed.

"Why—would he—do this?" Iruka asked between pants, yelling over the roar of the rapids.

"I have a feeling he intends to eliminate us instead of run from us now," Sasuke responded.

In the distance they heard some development in the fight. Hinata was barking haphazardly, and there was a near constant demonic roar coming from Naruto. Apparently they had reached the shore and were now engaging in a one-on-one quarrel. They had to reach them fast before Hinata suffered any grave injuries. It was highly frustrating how Naruto was still aiming to defeat them one by one. With his agility, sheer strength, and the tails, he was built to efficiently do so.

At last they were visible again, and they had caught them in a dance of battle. Hinata could only duck and dodge as Naruto threw his claws at her. Compared to him, she was rather small, but very nimble as well. His claws connected eventually, though; she whimpered as he ripped into the flesh of her chest. This ultimately gave Naruto the advantage.

Her pack mates were closing in on them as Naruto twisted his body around, catching her in midair with all nine of his tails. He tightened his grip, causing her to get the air knocked out of her. Hinata struggled to be free, but the tails were far too strong. When she tried to breathe in, it terrified her that barely any air could enter her lungs.

"Let her go, Naruto!" Sasuke called across the way. The fox narrowed his eyes their way, snorting furiously. He technically complied when he whipped around and threw her into the rocky cliff. The girl wailed painfully, the impact crushing the stony wall. She fell a few feet down to the ground, her body hitting the rock with a loud thud.

With a malicious growl, Sasuke switched from all fours to two legs, his clawed hand poised for a punch. He connected his fist with Naruto's face, knocking him on the ground a few meters away. The attack did not stop there, though. Sasuke leapt after him, and Kakashi joined him. Iruka brought it upon himself to go see if Hinata was alright.

The two gargantuan wolves pounced on top of the fox, digging their claws in wherever they could reach. They did not do much else but hold him down on the ground, and it was proving to be a real chore as Naruto thrashed wildly beneath them, snapping his teeth angrily at the air. He used his tails like whips to batter them off, but the two stayed resilient.

Meanwhile, Iruka sat at the girl's side, his ears folding back at the agonized whines she emitted. Weakly she opened her eyes as she panted. Thankfully she was not bleeding profusely, but who knew what kind of internal injury she could have from being thrown like that. Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but few worlds came out. Consolingly, Iruka petted her shoulder.

"It's okay…just rest, Hinata. We'll handle it from here," he mumbled to assure her. Hinata nodded faintly.

Iruka looked over his shoulder to see what was happening between the other three were-creatures. The fox's struggles were growing more hysterical every second. He commended them for the idea to tire him out like that. However, Iruka knew better than anyone that it was a near impossibility to truly make him tired, especially when he was being relentlessly fueled with the Fox's infinite chakra.

As anticipated, Naruto was finally able to get one of them off. He swiped his tail at Kakashi's face, causing him to falter, and then Naruto wrapped it around his torso. Naruto pried him off and tossed him into a shallow part of the river. With the stronger of the two gone, Naruto easily overpowered Sasuke. The fox grinned a vile grin as he pushed the black wolf to the ground with only one paw. The wounds he sustained in that brief moment of submission essentially disappeared in a flash.

"You're all hopeless," Naruto growled, chuckling as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder with his free hand. With his claws piercing the skin, he pulled back. Sasuke cried as the fox left a long, deep wound that extended from his shoulder to his wrist. Then Naruto held onto his hand with an iron grip. "If you really want to take me down, you'll have to kill me!"

The black wolf winced at the pain in his right arm, trying to endure it. He glanced past Naruto to see Kakashi recovering from the earlier attack, confirming that help was on the way. The leader would be too late though. Naruto morbidly laughed as he squeezed Sasuke's hand, a blood curdling series of snaps sounding off. He screamed in agony.

Kakashi dashed towards them in a blind fury. Having forgotten Shikamaru's warning to not get behind him, he walked right into Naruto's trap. He was abruptly stopped in his run when he was grabbed by the tails. Mercilessly the nine-tailed slammed the silver wolf on the ground to his side, releasing Sasuke's arm with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. The black wolf laid there limply, his every breath followed by a painful whine. Even a werewolf could not regenerate broken bone as absurdly fast as torn skin or flesh, so he would be out of commission for a while.

Turning his attention to Kakashi, Naruto's mad grin grew even wickeder. As far as he was concerned he was now free to exert the revenge he failed to fulfill last time. He licked his chops as he approached him. The wolf groaned while attempting to stand. The effort was put to rest when Naruto shoved him back down aggressively.

"Where were we then?" he asked rhetorically, thinking of how he should eliminate him. Stabbing his vital organs took too much time with so much muscle and flesh barricading them, so he would have to opt for something more…efficient. "That's right…we were at the part where I kill you."

The wolf rolled over, desperately fighting to crawl away. The impact he had with the ground left him crippled as well, debilitated with an agonizing pain in his back and left leg, which were torn asunder by jagged rock.

"_Damn it…_" Kakashi scolded himself. Angrily he looked over where Hinata and Iruka lay, growling furiously. "_Why would he just sit there? The bastard hasn't done anything at all…_" That was only half true, because Iruka was the one who led them here in the first place with his powerful nose. It puzzled him to think about what reason he would have to hold back.

"_I know he doesn't want to hurt Naruto…but damn it if he doesn't do something we're all going to get killed!"_

Naruto tortured his sensei by digging his claws into one of the raw, bleeding wounds, twisting his hand to make him scream. He got his wish as Kakashi howled in agony. Through the ear piercing cry, the fox was astonishingly able to pick up on a different sound in the distance. His left ear perked up, pivoting towards it to hear it more clearly. It was a higher pitched growl similar to Hinata's, and it was growing closer every second.

The fox narrowed his eyes dangerously. Of course, she was suspiciously absent this whole time. Having almost forgotten about her, he blew caution entirely to the wind. It annoyed him to no end; Naruto still had other wolves to get through, and he learned from the earlier encounter that it would be beneficial for him to incapacitate Sakura. Without her, everyone would be left to their own devices to heal, therefore giving him an opening to finish the job.

Abandoning his eyed prey, Naruto scarcely dodged an onslaught of claws as Sakura thrashed herself at him. She glared at him as they stood across from one another. For the moment, she lost herself in his irises, a tinge of grief and pity in her furious green eyes. His eyes were as wide as they possibly could be, his teeth bared to threaten her. To her he looked like a madman, like some vicious, rabid creature.

The state of things surprised her to say the least. She was apart from her comrades for a mere ten minutes at the most, yet she returned to find Sasuke, Hinata, and Kakashi-sensei utterly defeated. The blood of her kin was everywhere, and the sheer amount of it could be smelt over a mile away. There was no denying it any longer; Naruto truly was the most powerful of them all. Even when they came together as a pack, the Nine-Tailed Fox prevailed.

The wolf girl sped forward and tackled the fox. In a frenzy she sliced at him, receiving plenty of feedback as well. The rock and dirt already stained red was freshly coated with new blood. Bloodshed would never result in their victory with Naruto's ability to heal in their way. Nonetheless, no matter how well they knew this fact they had no other weapon to use.

The two flipped each other on the ground, the tide of battle at a stalemate. Constantly the advantage shifted, and as long as this dance of battle continued, the fight would not progress. Naruto corrected this by jabbing his paw into her chest to force her off. Sakura gagged, momentarily loosing her breath as she was launched away. A high pitched whine came out of her mouth when her body hit the rocks. The fox sat up shakily, wiping excess blood on the back of the same paw from his face.

Naruto stood and loomed towards her, his open wounds closing rapidly. Once he was near enough, she backhanded him as a feeble attempt to fight back while lying down. He responded with an enraged growl, and she returned it to him. The fox swiped his claws over her face, tearing four perpendicular cuts above and below her right eye. She twisted her body around and cried, her arm covering the scratches as she struggled to stand again. He grabbed the scruff of her neck to prevent it, pulling his hand back to tear into her back. A prolonged howl of pain ripped out of her throat.

In the distance, only one was left to witness this horrid act of cruelty. One by one…all of them fell victim to this senseless violence before him, yet he never stood up to defend them; he never mucked up the courage to protect his friends. Iruka was afraid, afraid of what might happen to him if he engaged in combat with Naruto, one of the most, if not _the_ most precious person in his life. To simply sit there and watch was absolutely sickening. It hurt him so much to see this, because the boy…the boy was like a son to him.

"_It seems like…it was only yesterday that I told him that,_" Iruka thought, his stomach churning. "_I told him that he was like a son to me…and I told him I would do anything for him._"

If those things were true, why did he hesitate? Tears spilt from his yellow eyes as Sakura was attacked. He beat her, he bit her, and he slashed her, all just to gain access to his final kill. Iruka contemplated what to do, but all he knew was that he had to do something.

A deep growl rumbled in his throat. The dark brown wolf at last willed himself to stand, his glowing eyes keenly intent on the fox. His jagged teeth and slender claws were bared. Every hair down his spine was raised to express just how infuriated he was.

Iruka crouched, and then he sprang into action, dashing towards them with incredible speed. He roared stridently, catching Naruto's undivided attention. The fox's eyes grew wide as the frenzied wolf came at him. Unable to merit a reaction in time, Naruto was swiftly slashed in the face, the attack followed up by a bite to his shoulder. The wolf rose to two feet with his front claws holding onto the boy, forcing Naruto into a bipedal position also to separate him from the innocent Sakura.

For what seemed like an eternity, Iruka held him in that stance. Naruto did nothing to free himself, too shocked to realize that he was just assaulted. His tails were whipping in the wolf's direction, failing to faze him when they hit. Tears trailing through the fur on his cheeks, Iruka released his jaws, his hands still holding onto his shoulders with an iron grip. His brow furrowed, he stared down on Naruto, and with his teeth clenched, he pulled one of his hands behind him in a fist. Iruka's lip lifted into a snarl.

Furiously, he launched a punch into Naruto's face, shouting his strong, definitive word.

"Enough!"

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End of Chapter

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…Kind of a meh fight scene. I don't like to write action scenes.

Because of the length, I had to bump the conclusion of the fight to next chapter instead. It shouldn't disrupt the rest of them, though.

Just three more chapters to go.

Next Time! Light. Words made not a single dent, even their claws couldn't bring him back…but Iruka has one last weapon up his sleeve.


	19. Light

I feel like I let you guys down with last chapter. The quality really suffered (especially at the end), and it was a little discouraging to me. I have MissNaye and avatarkj to thank for keeping my spirits up with their avid reviewing of the story. Same goes to the others who took two seconds to give a pat on the back. Even though the reviews were few (not really…just fewer then normal), and I understand why because five months is long enough to loose interest in something, I am honored enough to receive any feedback nowadays.

I'm going back to edit that ending, I promise. I was ready to post it, and I'm sure those who enjoy this story were ready to see it. Regardless, I put a lot of heart into this one to give a well deserved bolster to the slowly dying story.

On another note…I need an opinion, but I doubt I'll get it anyways. Should I leave the wolves' coats one solid color, or would you like to see pattern and color variations on them? If you've been imagining them with patterns…go ahead and keep doing that. Might be a little late to change that, though.

Sorry about the ramble. Please do enjoy, or at least try to.

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**Chapter 18**

_January 1__st__ – January 8__th_

Light

The fist Iruka used to assault his student hung in midair. Tears flowed from his eyes like the river beside them as he glared daggers into the side of the fox's head. Otherwise, he was completely still. His sobs were quiet, for he had the dignity to not burst into a full blown cry. Having to harm Naruto hurt him in ways none of them could comprehend in their wildest dreams. It was so incredibly painful that Iruka wanted to drop dead for it.

Naruto was also shaken by it, frozen on the spot with his head twisted where the punch had forced it. His eyes were wide as he stared into oblivion. His heart pounded violently against his chest, and his breathing was hindered. Every one of his tails hand fallen to the ground, lying limp and motionless around his feet.

The injured and broken littered about the battlefield were blessed to witness Iruka's moment of reconcile. He stood up to the fox in spite of the destruction and chaos that he ensued. More importantly, Naruto was actually intimidated by it. For most of this battle, he took every blow with a smile or a sneer on his face; now there was nothing but a blank expression of horror upon his sleek muzzle.

Slightly, Naruto pivoted his head towards Iruka, who reacted by pulling his fist back again with a growl. He would not use his claws like some animal. This caused Naruto to flinch, his ears folding back in distress.

"Don't make me hit you again," the dark brown wolf pleaded. "I said enough!"

Kakashi could sense a dramatic transformation within Iruka as he watched the scene unfold from the corner of his eye. Moments ago, the man utterly refused to get anywhere near Naruto. A sense of pride welled up inside of him. For some reason he was proud of Iruka for defeating his inner doubts, but what he had done was nothing to be proud of…Nothing that any of them did was prideful.

"Look at them, Naruto! Look at the people who you are hurting!" he shouted, the echoes ricocheting off the canyon walls. "Who are they, Naruto? They are my friends, my companions! They are not just _my_ friends; they are_ your_ friends! They cared enough about you to abandon what made them human! They would rather live life as a beast then see you destroy yourself like this! I will not stand here and let you throw that precious sacrifice in our faces!"

There was a long pause in which Iruka took the time to inhale deeply and count to ten. This explosion of rage had to be put to rest before he said or did something he would later regret. Even though he resented the anger, without it he would not have obtained Naruto's attention. It took a might bit more then just one breath to tame himself, though. He was not entirely composed until he counted to at least fifty. After achieving tranquility, he lowered his fist and removed his claws from Naruto's shoulder, his arms going limp at his sides.

"I don't want to hurt you, Naruto. I want to help you," Iruka stated calmly, his voice wavering. "I know you're in excruciating pain…I know how you feel, and I know you don't believe us when we say that to you. We truly_ do_ know what you're going through, because we're going through it ourselves. Every one of us here is a werewolf…even _you_ are a werewolf. Beside the Fox…there really is no difference between us."

As a symbolic gesture, Iruka extended his palm towards Naruto. With his other hand, he gently took hold of the boy's wrist. He upturned it so his palm was showing as well. Curiously, the fox stared down at their hands, wondering what Iruka was attempting to show him. Though his observations were simple, they were oddly exceptionally significant. They both had black claws on their fingers, they both had silky fur on their skin, and undeniably, both of their hands were tainted with another person's blood.

"We all make mistakes. It's…one of those things that reminds us that we're sill human in a way," he mumbled, releasing Naruto's wrist. "And no matter what mistakes you've made…I forgive you. _We_…forgive you."

Timidly, the fox took a step backward as he latched onto his forearm. Broken of the dark shroud he barricaded himself with, his true emotions resurfaced: guilt and sorrow. His eyes glistened with pain, shimmering tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"All we need is for you…" Iruka paused, momentarily glancing over his shoulder at the large silver wolf. Discreetly he stepped aside to bring Kakashi into better view. "…is for you to forgive us."

The red fox shivered, his tails lifting to place a physical veil around him. He wanted to be angry at Iruka. He wanted nothing more then the empowering rage that gave him the strength to effortlessly defeat every other werewolves that crossed his path tonight. That source of power had entirely vanished, now. The once blazing fire in his heart was extinguished along with his drive to kill.

Hesitantly, Naruto slowly moved his gaze around, taking Iruka's advice to actually look at those who he was attacking. He swallowed, cringing internally at what he saw: companions who had seen him through thick and thin, and in momentarily forgetting that, he had senselessly attacked them. He continued to step backwards, confused and conflicted.

"_He's no better then the rest of them…Destroy him now!_"

Naruto clenched his eyes shut and shook his head, defiantly rejecting the deafening voice of the demon within. In his fear he turned and ran, tears flying in drops behind him. He let out a weak high pitched bark as he dashed away. Mentally he could not take the scene in, now humanly conscious of his wrongdoings. In no time he completely disappeared from sight.

Iruka did nothing but stare into the distance with pity for the boy's plight. In a way he reigned victorious, yet he also was guilty of digging up Naruto's most awful emotions and most dreadful memories. If that truly was the only way to make him see the light, then it had to be done. Lowering his head, he sighed through his nostrils. It may not be over yet, but Iruka would see to it that it be ended soon enough.

He looked over his shoulder at Sakura, who sat with a look of awe in her wide green eyes. Her effort towards healing herself had gone a long way, allowing her to comfortably move again. The wounds on her back were indeed raw, but they no longer hurt nor bled. It was all thanks to Iruka's daring approach that she could recover.

"That…was incredible, Iruka-sensei," she said astounded. "How…did you…?"

"By treating him like he's Naruto, not like he's possessed by that demon," Iruka replied plainly, his eyes inadvertently turning to the heavens. "He_ was_ once my student, so I know what he responds the best to…tough love. When you're too gentle with him, he won't respect anything you say or do. However, if you're too aggressive towards him, he'll only be aggressive back. He isn't acting like this because the Fox is suddenly making him this way; this is how he's_ always_ been."

"I still don't understand…Shikamaru said—"

"He doesn't know Naruto like I do."

At that Iruka dropped to all fours, trotting ahead in the direction Naruto went. Before he ran off, he craned his neck back. "You okay then, Sakura?"

The wolf girl nodded swiftly. "Yes, I am."

"Take care of the others."

She nodded briskly and stood up, pawing over to the one closest to her now, Sasuke. The hand which Naruto had crushed was obviously disgruntled. Sakura carefully placed her paw on it to feel for the damage, yielding a painful whine from Sasuke's mouth. Weakly he opened an eye, a meek smile forming on his muzzle, glad to see her by his side. She smiled back. Then she turned her attention to Iruka, who was leisurely strolling away down the river bank with his nose to the ground.

"Wait, where are you going then?" Sakura called out.

"I'm gonna go get him," he responded confidently, proceeding to dash after his former student's fresh scent on the ground.

For no real purpose she watched him disappear into the horizon and continued to stare with admiration eons after he was long gone. The deafening silence no longer felt as foreboding as it had before. Now the atmosphere was quite peaceful, the rush of the river and whisper of the wind seemingly calmer without the rage of battle tampering with it. It was a shame that the beautiful scenery that surrounded them had to be laid waste with bloodshed.

Sakura sighed in relief, her peace of mind finally coming back to her. Everything was going to be okay now. After all of their doubts, after all of their fears, at last Naruto's raging spirit would be eased.

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He traversed over rock and dirt with great dexterity. He scaled down cliffs with skill. He wrestled through thickets of woody trees without sustaining a single scratch or bruise. Completely out of options, there was nothing left for him to do but run; it was how he attempted to solve the problem before, and even then the feat was fruitless. In the end he was still found, and in the end he could not bring himself to completely detach himself from the world he left behind.

A constant stream of tears dripped from his eyes, dampening the fur on his face. Those people only sought to help him, yet now they suffered for it. He was disgusting, revolting, and an absolutely vile creature.

"_You are weak, child,"_ said the Fox with a growl. "_Why didn't you strike him down?"_

"_He's never done anything to me…ever…"_

Naruto continued to weave through the trees swiftly. It was unavoidable; whether he wanted to or not, he was going to be harbored back to the dreaded village he fled months ago. There were promises of help and kindness abound, but would it really be there waiting for him? He had plenty of reasons to doubt that promise of happiness. The sad truth was he had long forgotten what it felt like to be truly happy.

His run slowed down once he put a decent amount of distance between himself and the battlefield. Panting heavily, he ascended a steep hill littered with dead tall grass and weeds. Coming to a full stop at the top, he plopped to the ground on his stomach, whining in distress. He wrapped his body up with the tails for warmth, lying his muzzle atop one for cushioning. At the very least he had time to mull over his thoughts before someone came for him.

Gently, he opened his eyes, his blood red irises glimmering as he stared out to the horizon. The line where the Earth met the sky was much more defined, a bright orange tracing it and fading up into the midnight blue. Weakly he pushed his body off the ground into a full stand. Each of his multiple tails rested on the ground behind him, a discreet smile forming at the corners of his lips. It was not a grin with malicious intent; rather, it was a smile of relief. Naruto knew that morning was close, and the promise of sunrise always forged a sense of peace within him

With the sun, gone were the tails, the fangs and the claws, banished was the darkness that corrupted him, silenced was the demon that tormented him. He survived for this long for this moment, for every sunrise before it and every sunrise to come.

"_I suppose you have given up then," _the Fox spoke with annoyance.

"_Yeah."_

"_You're going to let them take you without a fight?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_It's expected…Doesn't matter who you are, the whole lot of you Leaf Village peasants are nothing but fools."_

"_I'm done running away…I just want to go home."_

The demon snorted with mild amusement. "_Homesick then?"_

"_Yeah…maybe a little."_

"_I pity you, boy…"_

Naruto's ears pivoted back towards the sound of another cautiously approaching. A distinctive scent was carried by the breeze into Naruto's nose. In an instant he identified who the scent belonged to. The non-threatening nature of his scent was the only thing that kept him totally composed. The scarce smile suddenly disappeared beneath a frown, and he closed his eyes gently.

Iruka stopped his advance a few feet behind the boy, where he stood at a slightly lower elevation on the hill. A larger gust of wind blew past them, scattering the remains of dead plant life into the air. He was not afraid to get closer to him, more so he was respecting Naruto's space. Though he desired nothing more then to be there for him, to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay, his student had been through enough tonight.

"It's over, Naruto," Iruka said softly.

The fox lowered his head, biting his lip furiously. A blank expression on his face, Naruto tilted his head up to gaze into the horizon, from which a break of white light penetrated the cloak of darkness. Though minimal, it was enough to forge a reaction out of them. At last, morning had come to eradicate him of evil, if only for a while.

He flinched at a spasm of his muscles, his right paw shooting up to clench at his furred chest. Naruto panted heavily, his body suddenly becoming tremendously frail. The claws digging into the ground lost their solid black color. They shortened and the tips became dulled as they pulled themselves out of the dirt in the process. A weak moan escaped Naruto's lips.

Iruka was not as drastically affected by it, though he did falter slightly, for he was accustomed to the feeling of reverting into his human body. Were-chakra, the source of power that sustained their transformed body, was drawn out by the moon, but was repelled by sunlight. As such, the sun essentially was depleting the crucial substance that gave them their undying strength and energy. Now suddenly being robbed of that vigor, it was obvious that it would leave the were-chakra's host significantly weakened.

The claws had receded fully. Their color returned to translucent white as they flattened into normal, human nails. The silken fur that covered him was disappearing into his skin, gradually revealing the pale pink flesh beneath, this effect traveling down his hands and feet and over his limbs rhythmically. It itched, but not as horribly as it did when the hair grew in. His overall size was decreasing also, his muscle mass loosing the definition it had before until he returned to a more lean body structure. Joints popped back into place, and his feet condensed to an ordinary length.

He tilted his head back when the fur on his neck began to diminish. He gritted his teeth as they reduced in size and grew blunt. The tails spurred to life for a few moments before shrinking rapidly back into his body. Naruto's jaws unhinged, his muzzle uncomfortably melting backwards. The mane on his head and remaining body hair lightened to bright blonde as his large ears slipped down to their original positions at the side of his head. He placed his hand on top of the shrunken muzzle with a groan, the malformed shape of his face morphing to take on his human features once more.

Naruto exhaled loudly as if he had held his breath though it all. He panted open mouthed with his eyes tightly shut. Every breath was trailed with a painful groan. Iruka stared at him completely mesmerized. In mere seconds, the beast had finally been vanquished by mere sunlight, banished to the recesses of Naruto's body and mind.

Drained of all strength he had, the boy collapsed to his side. He laid on the grass, his eyes barely half open. The irises were duller then they should be, but even then they were a dazzling, vibrant blue. Iruka could only admire those eyes for a moment before Naruto's eyelids fluttered shut, as he fell into deep unconsciousness.

Though he was physically exhausted as well, Iruka had all the inner strength in the world to remain awake, for he still had tasks to fulfill. He advanced upon the boy, a frown still plastered upon his human lips. Towering above him, he stared at Naruto's still form, intently watching the calm rise and fall of his bare chest. Iruka's heart was leaping in his chest, full of happiness and joy that he had no means to express. To see Naruto as he should be was enthralling, and he had never felt accomplished in his life before this moment.

He sighed silently through his nostrils. Iruka leaned down and scooped Naruto's limp body up off the ground. The boy's over-grown bangs completely covered his eyes as he situated his former student carefully in his arms.

"_First thing is to keep him warm then…"_

At that thought, he turned around to head back they way they came, trudging through the morning cold.

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There was no particular reason that he regained consciousness that moment. Not a sound could be heard, no wind to feel against his skin. Everything was perfectly still, frozen in time as if the world were anticipating his awakening.

He could smell the cool, crisp air, and feel the hardened earth he laid on. As a subtle reaction, his eyes slowly peeled open. Naruto blinked a few times, the images nothing more then a blur at first. Soon it all came together as a picture, and he found Iruka sitting beside him, staring down on him with a small smile on his face.

For hours since sunrise Iruka had been intently watching over him as he rested. He did not permit a second of slumber to himself for the purpose of making sure Naruto was taken care of. More importantly, he had to make sure to not let him out of his sight. Though he was in his human body, he could only extend a certain amount of trust to him.

The boy weakly attempted to sit up; Iruka leaned back to allow him room. Once he managed to rise, the white shirt that Iruka put on him sagged down. The garments he was given were a bit large, but it was far too cold to let him roam completely bare.

Naruto put a hand to his aching head, shaking it gently to rid himself of the daze of drowsiness. Tiredly he turned to look at Iruka, a blank expression on his face. He showed no emotion out of fear that he was to be scolded now. Silently he waited to be stricken by a hand or with a speech. Instead of the anticipated, Iruka merely grinned wider.

"Morning, Naruto," he greeted him bluntly, confusing the boy. Naruto gently raised an eyebrow, but the welcoming tone in his voice relaxed his taut muscles. His arms resting in his lap, he stared at the barren ground bleakly.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Iruka asked, tenderly placing his hand on his shoulder. Naruto shuddered and gritted his teeth, the contact stinging a little.

"Sore," he rasped, alerting Iruka to remove his hand.

"Oh, sorry…"

"No, it's fine." Naruto's voice cracked from misuse. He coughed into his fist after speaking, and then he turned his attention back to the man beside him, speaking in a clearer voice. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'll manage."

"That's good…" he mumbled, hugging his knees to his chest nervously. "I suppose this means you're going to make me go back then…"

"I'm afraid so," Iruka replied with a chuckle.

"They're going to punish me…right?"

Taken aback by that, Iruka frowned with sorrow filled eyes, averting his gaze elsewhere when his uncertainty was satiated. It was something he had not thought about intensely, but it remained a factor in his mind as he continued this journey.

"No," he stated simply, unsure of the answer himself. "You've done nothing wrong."

"I kill people…it's wrong," the boy growled, turning his head to the side.

Iruka reached out to touch his shoulder, remembering that he was in pain and deciding against it. There was no argument to go against the absolute truth. Murder is indeed wrong, but if the person committing it was unconscious of it, can it be pardoned? More over, was Naruto truly unconscious of the killings? It was hard for him to pass this judgment; his opinion on it would be heavily biased because Naruto meant a lot to him. He would rather not see him being punished, jailed, or even executed.

"You won't be punished. I promise. I won't let them lay a hand on you," he declared.

There was a long pause. After thinking about it, his mood was lifted subtly. Promises were a notion that he had long abandoned, but out of everyone in the world, Iruka most deserved the chance of regaining his trust. Naruto lifted his head, coming out of his curled up position and stared at him hopefully.

"Don't worry," Iruka continued. "I'm not the only one willing to protect you. All of us are by your side in this."

As quickly as he loosened up, Naruto became tense once more. He half-buried his face in his knees, a hint of distress glistening in his eyes. He had no desire to think of the others. Their beaten bodies, their blood scattered on the field and tainting his claws, it was all sensational to him when in the fox form. The reality of these horrors he brought to life as a demonic apparition did not strike him until he was human again, resulting in the broken down person Iruka saw before him.

"I don't want to see them," he said quietly, burying his eyes into his arms. "I don't want them to see me."

"Why not?" Iruka asked with concern.

"…I just don't."

"You'll have to sometime…"

"I know, but I don't want to see them now." His voice was cracking again. Softly he closed his eyes, preventing tears from spilling over his eyelids. "I'm scared."

"You're talking to me…Are you afraid of me?"

"No…not of you." Naruto hesitated to admit what exactly was troubling him. Heaving a sigh, he looked into the trees aimlessly. "I'm mostly afraid of Kakashi."

"Oh…" he responded solemnly, glancing over his shoulder on an impulse. Iruka had left a clear trail to their location, so it was only a matter of time before they were found. He sympathized with Naruto's plight, though. It was only just to feel contempt towards Kakashi, for he was not only arrogant but insensitive as well.

"If that's what you want, Naruto…I'll make sure they know, okay?" The boy only nodded in response.

They sat in silence, patiently awaiting the arrival of the remaining pack members. This moment of peace was interrupted shortly as clear sounds of footsteps in the brush reached their ears. Fearfully, Naruto curled inwards as an act of self defense while Iruka turned his body around to see who was coming towards them.

Sure enough, looming towards them were five distinct figures, none other then his fellow wolf companions. Of course they were in their human states as well, though, all of them clothed in their usual attire. Leading them through the forest was Kakashi, his backpack slung over his shoulder as he strolled along. Close behind him was Hinata, her eyelids heavily drooping over her pale irises. She swayed a little haphazardly while walking. The fatigue was less apparent in Shikamaru, but he almost looked like he was sleeping and walking at the same time. Further off to the side, the couple of Sasuke and Sakura were fidgeting with one another as Sakura was attempting to rig an improvised cast on his broken hand while still walking with the group.

Other then that, they appeared to be faring well. There were no visible cuts or bruises, and none seemed to be in any pain. Not that Iruka expected them to be limping and screaming in agony, though. Sakura's skills as a medic and their natural healing abilities were a potent combination capable of curing those meager flesh wounds.

As they closed in on the two, Shikamaru instantly woke up once he could clearly see the head of blond hair. He smiled gently, rushing towards him. The other young wolves then took note to Naruto's presence, and overjoyed they ran alongside him to see the long lost boy. However, none of them noticed how he shivered with fear as they approached.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried to him, igniting a series of calls to him by the others. Iruka quickly reacted to all of this, briskly standing up and positioning himself between him and the looming mob, sternly glaring with a scowl. Startled, they stopped in their tracks and stared at Iruka with apprehension. Not only were they confused, they were frightened of Iruka's facial expression.

"Uhm…I-Iruka-sensei?" Hinata said hesitantly.

"What gives?" Shikamaru complained.

"What's wrong with Naruto?" asked Sakura.

"Is he okay?" Sasuke queried while trying to get a look at him.

"He's fine," Iruka responded in a dull tone.

A tintinnabulation of confusion lolled over them, whispering amongst themselves in wonder. His eye narrowed, Kakashi forcefully trudged towards them, throwing his belongings to the side. He too was blocked when Iruka moved to stand in his way, leaving the other wolves to stay obediently away from Naruto.

The two adult wolves glared at one another for a full minute, challenging eachother to make a move. Iruka was determined to keep his precious one safe from harm, while Kakashi was determined to talk to Naruto. Where the idea that Iruka could dictate who spoke with him came from was unclear to him. To the leader of the pack, it seemed to him like nothing more then an act of rebellion.

"Step aside," Kakashi commanded. When the other man remained in place, he attempted to circle around him, only to be blocked again. His glare intensified.

"No," said Iruka plainly. "He doesn't want to see anyone. That _especially_ includes you."

"_Especially _me?" the leader growled, taking offense in the additional word.

"He's upset, Kakashi," Iruka snapped in a low whisper. "I think you of all people should be able to respect that."

Kakashi growled, his fist balling up at his side. He was having a hard time keeping himself composed. Meanwhile the young ones talked quietly to eachother in a huddled up circle as the other two argued.

"I suppose if I were him, I wouldn't want anyone to see me either," Shikamaru mumbled to the group.

"Poor Naruto…" Hinata said, taking a quick glance over her shoulder at the boy. "I'm sure he isn't well…He's gone through so much."

"Yeah, so did we," he grumbled back. "Personally I don't care if he'll talk to us right now or not. What we should be concerned about is how we're going to ferry him back to the village without him…y'know."

"He's right," Sasuke spoke up, tugging at the gauze on his hand to adjust it. "It took us over two weeks to follow him here. It could take just as long or even longer to get back." He paused for a moment, sighing in exhaustion. "And we have a full moon coming up in a few days. Who knows what he'll be like."

"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei has a plan," Sakura said, not entirely believing herself. "Maybe we can find a quicker route ho—"

"So just what is he upset about?" the pack leader shouted, growing more and more frustrated every second. "Because he tried to kill me?! Or maybe because he knows just how ridiculous he's acting!"

"Kakashi!" Iruka toppled over his voice, stopping him before he said anything more that may hurt Naruto. "Why won't you make up your mind, Kakashi? Do you really want to help him or are you just aiming to make him feel guilty so you can better yourself?"

Everything was brought to a sudden halt. All eyes were upon them, even Naruto's, as Kakashi and Iruka exchanged glares. Never had they seen those two so furious, let alone seen them argue with eachother. Not that they ever behaved like best friends either, though. Their relationship had always been complicated because of Naruto, and now the pressing issue at hand increased that tension.

"He does _not_ want to _speak_ with _anyone_ right now. Am I clear?" Iruka spoke directly and clearly.

Touched that Iruka went to such lengths to honor his wishes, Naruto blankly stared as his former teacher challenged a man of significant greater strength all for his sake. His lips were slightly parted in shock. Nervously he crossed his arms, rubbing thumbs on his skin, and he turned his body away from the action out of the guilt that Iruka spoke of.

"_Why_ _does everything have to be my fault…?_"

The leader of the pack sighed and closed his eye, alleviating his anger until he was finally calm. Kakashi broke their death stare. By doing this, he had admitted defeat in this deadly clash between the Alpha and the Beta. Truly, this was about what was best for Naruto, not what was best for himself. All along he had thought he had the boy's best interest in mind, while in reality everything he had done up till this point were acts of selfishness and misguidance.

And in all honesty, Kakashi could not blame Naruto for the decision he made. After all he had been through he deserved to be given the solitude he desired. He figured this was how it was going to be for a while, nothing but silence and indifference, for Naruto had a long road of recovery ahead of him.

"Is he at least ready to travel with us?" Kakashi asked calmly.

"I don't know…" Iruka replied. He glanced over his shoulder to look at him. "Naruto?"

Slowly Naruto pivoted his head towards Iruka, and weakly, he nodded.

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End of Chapter

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A little shorter then normal…just over 5000 words. It was going to be longer, but I just randomly decided this would be a good way to end the chapter…instead of making it go on and on and on about emo, I mean "depressed" Naruto. I'm glad I'm almost done with this fic. I'm still incredibly unhappy with it in general, but I'm too lazy to do much else with it. Two more chapters left before…nah. I won't say anything yet.

Question…Are any of my readers role-players? I ask this because my fanfiction role players kind of disappeared (Twilight Dawn: I know why you can't be on so avidly, and I understand that…if you are ever able to read this, I still love you lots for the help you've given me) and I would like to have someone to role play something specific with me. Of course, it will include spoilers, so you have to not mind them. I'm a serious role player though, so I will not like you at all if you role play like this:

_____: sasuke such a douchebag, ima kick his ass and becum hokagay lol

I _will_ like if you role play something more like…this:

_____: "Sasuke? I've told you before, he's a jerk...but he does mean well sometimes." Naruto chuckled, lightly patting his shoulder. "But uh...what he was sayin was...uh..." He scratched the side of his neck, trying to put it into easier to understand words. He was well practiced in translating emo to Japanese...

Or in the past, I've done role plays in this format:

_____: *Sakura* (I was a bit apprehensive about this, but I decided that because he was going to find out sooner or later, it was better sooner and from me than later and from one of those people who still didn't approve of Sasuke.) Well, you could say that he's here but his mind isn't present. You see, he lapsed into a bit of a... depression when nobody believed him and he's taken to spending his days and nights completely stoned. He's worse than Tsunade.

In case you're confused this is a format I developed myself, because it allows you to be more then one person a post and it was needed for the original Blood Chakra role play once more and more characters started to appear. It essentially goes: *Character Name* (First Person Actions and Inner Thoughts) Spoken words [OOC].

Gimme a buzz (PM, IM, Email, whatever) if you're interested.

So uh, onto the chapter teaser…

Next Time! The Masters. One master in medicine, the other in the paranormal. Together, can they solve the mysteries still untold?


	20. Message to Readers

I would like to apologize for promising to finish what I couldn't finish. This story is discontinued indefinitely. Thank you to those of you who were fans of my work here. If you would like to know what I had in mind for the ending, you can always PM me and I'll gladly tell you.

~ Kamikon Wolf


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